Eye of the Storm
by xseikax
Summary: The Blight has been ended and Ferelden is at peace. But a new threat is coming, and a cryptic warning sends two women in a desperate attempt to keep a little girl safe. And while they hide from their allies and seek out answers, the danger begins to come from every direction. Sequel to Eyes of a Stranger. AU Story
1. Chapter 1

_It is said that the Blight that rose in Ferelden, the fifth Blight that the world has ever known, was what led to the chaos. If we had behaved like true and honorable Grey Wardens, the world would not have been threatened. They say that we were two wicked, evil elves, who made a pact with a dangerous maleficar, and nearly brought our world to the brink of extinction._

_I first heard this false story a long time ago, after everything had taken place and we were still amazed to be alive. Some foolish _shemlen _requested the story of the False Wardens and soon the whole tavern was enamored with the tale, having no idea that the very elves of this myth sat right beside them. They said that we were guided by demons, that we sought to bring status and power to the elves one more, to create a second _Arlathan_. They even claimed that we intentionally waged war on the Chantry through our own heretical beliefs._

_As we came to learn later, this twisted retelling is widely believed among the _shemlen _world. They accept it as the truth of what happened, and never bother to ask themselves what real elves would have done in such a situation. But then, they aren't accustomed to thinking of elves as real people. They'd much rather believe that we are evil creatures to be feared._

_It's not our fault that the Seekers were fooled. Our only hope, the one thing we were concerned with, was to keep my precious Anyu safe. That is the simple truth of it, and those who cannot believe it have already made up their minds to hate us because they fear what could have happened.  
_

_Kali, bless her, absolutely adores listening to the story. At every tavern or inn we visit, she never fails to ask the bards to tell it to her, and finds a sort of delightful pride in hearing about everything they say. I must admit that I can see why she enjoys it, even if it is a only a myth. The _shemlen_ give us all sorts of credit for things we never could have done. They seem to think that I have a legion of demons at my command, or that Kali can somehow disappear into thin air. It really is quite flattering._

_If only we did have such power! Everything would have been so much easier if I could destroy an entire city with the wave of my hand, or if Kali could poison a man just by looking at him. Do they honestly think that if we could do such things, our lives would have been threatened alongside theirs? Or do they, in their twisted, fearful hearts, prefer to just wrap us up in a neat little box and use us as a warning as to why our people should be hated?  
_

_I believe it is the latter. But, I suppose that in the end, it doesn't really matter. The _shemlen_ can say what they want about us; they can make up whatever lie they need to explain what they don't understand. It doesn't change anything. Their precious Maker is gone. They can claim that he is still there, waiting for the Chant of Light to spread to the four corners of the world, but it is all lies._

_We know the truth._

_ –_Excerpt from Ashara's journal, found in an abandoned house just outside of Antiva


	2. Chapter 2

**I. Prelude to an Apocalypse  
9:37 Dragon; Six Years after the death of the Archdemon**

"_Mamae! Mamae! _Look at this!"

Ashara stood in the training yard of Vigil's Keep, helping to teach some of the Warden mages their new spells but, at the sound of the six-year old's voice, she turned to look at the girl, who was beaming with pride. "What is it, _da'vhenan_?"

The little girl's dark blue eyes lit up like a sapphire sparkling in the sunlight as she held out her white arms proudly. After taking care to make sure Ashara was watching, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Soon, Ashara saw a little ball of blue light appear in the center of the girl's palms. The sphere grew bigger and bigger until it was almost as big as her head. Then, she opened her eyes, noticed the other Warden mages watching her, giggled, lost her concentration, and the sphere was gone.

"Did you see it?"

"I did!" Ashara knelt down next to her daughter Anyu, the girl she was still amazed to have had. "What a fine mage you'll make!"

"She could rival any apprentice in the Tower," one of the Warden mages, a human woman named Gwen, said cheerfully. The other mages chuckled and nodded in agreement, each of them eager to encourage Anyu in her magical ability.

Anyu twisted strands of her perfectly white hair around her little finger, suddenly acting shy at all this extra attention. "You really think so?"

Gwen nodded, smiling indulgently as everyone did when they dealt with Anyu. "I know so, sweetie. Most mages don't learn to control energy like that until they're a little older." She tossed Ashara a wink.

Ashara suppressed a smile and looked at her daughter. "What do you say to that?"

"Oh! _Ma serannas_! That means 'thank you' in the ancient elf language," the little girl said proudly.

Gwen laughed at that. Everyone knew that Anyu absolutely adored helping the humans and elves learn how to say some words in the ancient _Elvhen_ language, even going so far as to ask them to repeat it to her to make sure they were learning. Ashara didn't mind it; the Wardens that lived at Vigil's Keep were their Clan and it was natural that Anyu would want to try to teach others. After all, a Keeper's blood flowed in her veins. Ashara's father, Anyu's grandfather, had been Keeper to the Clan, and Ashara would have been the next Keeper if she hadn't become a Warden.

Besides, Ashara no longer demanded that Dalish secrets remain secret. After nearly seven years of living in the human world, she had come to see that a lot of humans weren't waiting for the chance to steal everything from the Dalish. Some of them—especially those that lived at Vigil's Keep—were good people, people that were amazed by the proud history of the Dalish, who even respected the ancient magic.

Ashara straightened up and looked down at her daughter. Now that she was beginning to control the flow of energy, it was time to begin the next part of her training. She glanced back at the four Warden mages who had gathered together to practice some new spells.

"Gwen, I need to help Anyu for a few moments," Ashara said to the human mage. "Will you make sure the others keep practicing draining aura?" Her eyes traveled over them. "Only this time make sure that they learn how to control it. We don't want a repeat of what happened yesterday."

Gwen grinned at that and the other two mages chuckled and patted Keiran, an elf from the Tower, on the back; he snorted loudly, unable to keep a straight face. The story of how Keiran, intending to only play a small prank on Oghren, had accidentally drained him of all his energy, causing him to pass out on the table at supper, was one that would be repeated for months on end. Oghren was still on a rant about Stone-cursed mages, although it didn't help that Keiran couldn't stop laughing long enough to actually apologize.

"You heard that, guys," Gwen said with mock seriousness. "Back to training! And just know that if any of you end up making _me_ pass out, I swear I'll make you pay for it!"

The others went back to their training while Ashara turned to her daughter. "Well, sweetie, now that you're learning to control a healing spell, I think it's time to move on to the next part of your training."

Anyu's beautiful face, as white and delicate as a porcelain doll's, lit up. "Really, _Mamae_? Tell me!"

Ashara smiled at her enthusiasm, remembering how eager she herself had been for Keeper Marethari to teach her everything. And, now, Ashara was passing those same lessons on to her daughter.

Although they weren't technically part of a Clan of the _Elvhenan_ anymore, it was still Ashara's duty to teach Anyu as much as possible. She alone was responsible for teaching Anyu the ancient, sacred magic of the _Elvhenan_, and to instill as much history as she could because, one day, Anyu might very well become First to a Clan.

Ashara closed her eyes for one brief moment at the thought of it, remembering the message she had received from Keeper Marethari, who had taken Ashara's Clan north to Kirkwall only five years ago.

Through Carver, a young Warden whose sister knew Ashara's Clan and occasionally sent messages to Ferelden for Marethari, Ashara had learned that Merrill, Ashara's one-time friend who had taken her place as First to the Clan, had been informally exiled from the Dalish. Foolish, stupid, Merrill, who was becoming so consumed with cleansing the _eluvian_, the ancient mirror that had tainted Ashara and Tamlen, that she had been willing to leave her Clan, abandon her people, and turn her back on their way of life.

Ashara didn't know why Merrill was so obsessed with the _eluvian_. There was no way to cleanse it without a demon's power and every mage—well, every sane mage—knew to never trust the word of any spirit from the Beyond. The Clan, afraid that Merrill was risking bringing back the darkspawn taint, had finally convinced Marethari to make the hard decision to exile her First. And Merrill, refusing to set aside the _eluvian_, had walked away from her own people.

But now the Clan had no First. If, _Falon'Di__n _and _Dirthamen_ forbid, Marethari were to die, the Clan would have no Keeper to protect and care for them. Marethari knew that Anyu had been born a mage, and had sent a message through Carver's sister, asking if Ashara would be willing to part with her daughter for the sake of the Clan.

Ashara's first answer was an immediate and very firm "no". She had once sworn that she would never abandon Anyu, as her own mother had done to her; not for the Dalish, not for the Creators, not for _anyone_, would Ashara ever willingly part from Anyu.

It took Tamlen's calm, practical mind to help Ashara realize that, perhaps, the decision should be left to Anyu. They decided that, when she came of age at fifteen summers, she would be given the option to join Ashara's Clan as the next Keeper. And, although it hurt for Ashara to think about it, Anyu, of course, was all for it. She wanted to learn to be the next Keeper as soon as possible. She wanted to start fighting with knives like Kali, and go out hunting with Tamlen and Zevran. She wanted to grow up as fast as she could, while Ashara wanted to keep her as her little girl forever.

With a sigh, Ashara shook her head to clear her thoughts. Every child must grow up eventually; she would be a poor mother if she didn't teach her daughter how to prepare for her responsibilities.

She walked over to the large oak tree that stood proudly in the training yard. As Warden-Commander, Ashara had always insisted that the trees and foliage on the west side of the yard be left alone to grow unattended. They could clear out the rest of Vigil's Keep, pull out the beautiful weeds and leave only grass, but this was Ashara's own little piece of the forest; her place to sneak away to when the duties of her task became too exhausting.

She put her hand reverently on the bark for a moment before looking down at Anyu, whose round little face looked ready to soak up knowledge like a root soaks up water. "Today, I'll start teaching you how to speak with the trees. You've heard that Keepers can talk to the forest, right?"

Anyu's head bobbed up and down vigorously. "Yes, _Mamae_. Tiatha told me that her Keeper can make the trees move just by asking them to!"

"Well, _that_ takes a lot of training." Ashara knelt down next to her daughter. "First, you need to learn how to listen to what they say, and the easiest way to start is to learn how to hear gratitude. So, what I want you to do is to make a ball of energy; it doesn't need to be big, but make sure to fill it with as many happy thoughts as you can. What makes you happy?"

"When Aunt Kali lets me ride that big horse of hers," the little girl answered automatically.

"Good. Think of that while you're making your ball of energy."

"But why?" Anyu asked curiously. "I don't need to think happy thoughts when I make a healing spell. Why do I need to do it now?"

Ashara felt a quick flash of pride at her daughter's inquisitive nature. "No, but you _do_ think about healing, don't you? That's because that's a different sort of energy than what we're doing now." She saw Anyu's frown of confusion and sat back on her heels. "As mages, we pull on the flow of energy around the world. The wind, the birds, the trees, the ground you walk on, everything has its own energy, and mages can pull on that energy to create our magic."

"So, when I make a healing spell, I'm taking it from something?" Anyu asked. "Isn't that stealing?"

Ashara smiled, remembering how she had posed these exact same questions to the Keeper when she was young. It was hard for mage children to understand exactly _how_ they cast their spells, since most of them drew on the energy of the world naturally and without thought. "That's why Keepers and Firsts try to give energy back, _da'vhenan_, which is what you'll be doing now. This tree will be grateful, and you're going to listen and see if you can hear it."

Anyu still looked confused. "But, if I give energy back, isn't that just giving the tree the energy that I already took?"

"Sort of, but we add a bit of our own energy to it. After you create a healing spell, you feel tired, don't you?" Her daughter nodded. "That's because, although we take energy from the world, our magic allows us to convert that energy into whatever we need. You could take that energy and change it into a healing spell, a ball of flame, or a chunk of ice. We add our own energy to the mix to change it."

Anyu's frown deepened. "So, how come we don't just use our own energy for a spell then? Why do we take it?"

"There _are_ mages that use their own energy. They're called blood mages, but they aren't an example you want to follow."

"I've heard of blood mages before," Anyu said. "Keiran said a whole bunch of them attacked the Tower before he became a Warden. But when I asked him why, he just said they were evil."

Ashara winced at the memory of the Circle Tower; to this day she could still remember the sight of all those twisted and corrupted mages, the stench of blood everywhere, and the frightening feel of the Veil being torn. "Blood mages _are _evil, and that's why I say you don't want to be a blood mage."

She hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether Anyu should hear about blood mages, but then decided to continue. She and Tamlen had long ago decided that, if Anyu was old enough to question or comment on something, she was old enough to get an honest answer. "Blood mages... they use their own blood to cast spells. Blood is filled with energy, and it makes their spells stronger. But, to learn blood magic you have to go to a demon. You know to never trust a demon, right?" Anyu nodded, her young face solemn. She knew well enough that demons were dangerous creatures. "Blood mages steal the energy from other people and hurt them. They get in their heads and make them do things they don't want to do."

Anyu looked awed and afraid at the thought of it, but then she bit her bottom lip and said, very practically, "Do they _have _to use their blood to hurt people? Can't they just use their energy for normal spells?"

"I suppose that they could and, from what the Keeper told me, blood mages do generally cast normal spells with their blood. But, it takes a lot of effort to learn to use your own blood in a spell. It's not like using natural energy, which all mages instinctively know how to do." She studied Anyu, trying to judge if she was going too fast, but the little girl was watching her attentively as if she understood completely, so Ashara decided to continue. "For a mage to learn how to use their own energy, they have to either go to a demon, or be trained by someone who already knows it, someone who has _already_ gone to a demon. Demons, of course, are evil creatures; they only teach twisted blood magic that can hurt people."

"Well that's stupid," Anyu said, with all the surety of a young girl. "Why would someone go to a demon to learn something?"

"Oh, they make up a lot of different reasons to try to justify it, but that doesn't make it right." Ashara smiled. "Now, let's get back to your training, all right? Since we're constantly taking energy from the world, sometimes it's a good idea to give some back as a way of saying 'thank you'. What we do is make a ball of energy, fill it with as much joy and cheer as we can, and give it back to the trees, plants, or even the ground."

"But how does it say 'thank you' to give energy back that we already took?"

"As I said, mages can convert energy into something we need. We're the only ones that can do that." Ashara gestured to the oak tree. "This tree can't change its energy the way that we can. So, we take some of its energy, change it into something cheerful, and give it back. We make a gift that it can't make on its own."

Anyu's mouth was a perfect little "o" as she understood what Ashara was saying. "Now," Ashara continued, "what you're going to do is make the ball of energy, filling it with plenty of happy thoughts, and give it to the tree." She patted the large roots that poked up from the ground. "Then, you're going to put your hand on the bark and listen. You should be able to feel its gratitude."

"I can do that!" Anyu closed her eyes and held her hands out in front of her, and began to summon energy.

oOo

The dining hall of Vigil's Keep was a disorganized mess of people talking, singing, laughing, and gossiping. Kali grinned as she helped herself to a plate of delicious chicken; she always enjoyed the familiar sounds of her fellow Wardens having fun together, although it was a constant complaint of the nobles of Amaranthine.

Every other week, Ashara and Kali got to hear of some new complaint or other from the nobles, who seemed to search for anything they could to criticize. Their biggest grievance was that Vigil's Keep was a rowdy place where humans, elves, and dwarves would drink and roister in the courtyard; where Dworkin frequently set off his "safe" explosives, and the mages practiced their experimental spells in full view of anyone. The nobles often complained that the Grey Wardens should be a proud, sophisticated lot, but Ashara, who disliked any sense of formality, waved aside their protests, claiming that the loudest, most obnoxious men and women in peacetime were the greatest warriors in war.

Kali liked the loud, boisterous feel of Vigil's Keep, where social standing meant almost nothing. Even though Ashara was Warden-Commander and Kali was her Second, no one ever called them by their titles, and Kali enjoyed that. She and Ashara only rarely ordered anyone to do anything, so most of the time Kali was just another Warden.

She looked around the room, smiling as she often did to see that everyone seated around was a good friend; it made Vigil's Keep feel like a home in a way that the Alienage never had. Roth, one of the Dalish hunters who had been tainted at the Battle of Denerim, sat next to his wife, Tiatha, laughing at some naughty joke Oghren was telling. Roth's son, Seith, sat next to them with Anyu; the two children were ignoring their food, preferring instead to fold up their napkins into animals and compare them to one another. Nathaniel Howe, the son of Arl Howe–who had turned out to be a surprisingly honest man and loyal Warden–was laughing quietly, blushing while Gwen flirted unabashedly and Sigrun teased him relentlessly.

Kali liked living here with the other Wardens, who felt like a family. They had had one extremely rough patch when they had first settled in, when the nobles had plotted against Ashara and Kali, and talking darkspawn had attacked the Keep, but that was all behind them. Zevran and Tamlen had been quick to put down the nobles that threatened them—although, to this day, Kali had never asked them how—and, with the death of the Architect and the Mother, the talking darkspawn had disappeared as well.

The Wardens had been at peace for the past few years. They had helped to rebuild Amaranthine after destroying it to kill the darkspawn, and most of the people seemed to love them. Oh, there were still some scattered problems here and there; the nobles still complained about everything and some of the common people grumbled about elves taking charge of everything, but for the most part it was peaceful.

Kali took a bite of the fresh, warm bread, enjoying the taste of the herbs stuffed in it. The cooks at Vigil's Keep were truly gifted, although Kali believed that a lot of it was thanks to Tiatha, the Dalish woman who had nursed Anyu, and who had followed her husband to the Keep when she had found out that he was to be a Warden. Tiatha had refused to become a Warden herself, and had instead found her way to the kitchens. Ashara had tried to tell her that she didn't have to be a cook–she was welcome to stay with the Wardens no matter what–but Tiatha had sworn that _shemlen_ had no idea of how to season meat or cook herbs, and had taken control of the kitchens for herself.

While Kali was nibbling on the delicious bread, Carver, a young Warden that had joined them a few years ago after being tainted in the Deep Roads, leaned around her to look at Ashara, who was talking quietly with Tamlen. "I received a letter from my sister," he said, waving a piece of a parchment.

Ashara immediately perked up and looked at him attentively. Carver's sister, Katerina, lived in Kirkwall near the Vinmark Mountains, where Ashara's—and now, Kali's—Clan resided. Ashara didn't often get the chance to speak with Marethari anymore. The distance was too great for them to communicate on the wind like Keepers often did, so whenever Carver received a letter from his sister, Ashara would ply him with a thousand different questions about the health and welfare of her Clan.

"Has she seen Marethari?" Ashara asked eagerly.

Carver shook his head and Kali noticed Ashara's shoulders slump a bit. "No," he said. "She's been busy running errands for the Viscount." A note of irritation slipped into his voice. "After all that money she made on the expedition, she bought Mother's old mansion and now the Hawke name is important." He frowned, but then shook his head and continued. "But, she did send me some news about Merrill."

Tamlen scowled at the mention of Merrill, and Ashara leaned back in her chair and affected an air of disinterest. "Oh? How's she doing? Still stomping on the history and tradition of our people?"

"According to Kat, she's been locked up in her home in the Alienage. She won't come out for anyone, she even forgets to eat. She stays shut up in the dark, trying to get that mirror of hers to work."

"_Bel'soren asha_," Ashara muttered angrily. "I don't care if she rots in that home of hers."

Kali looked down at her plate and felt Carver wince next to her. Merrill was always a sore topic for Ashara. She was severely offended that her old friend would so easily relinquish her place among the Dalish, a place that Ashara had been devastated to leave. Kali knew that a Clan needed their Keeper and First to survive. In Ashara's mind, Merrill was willing to risk her Clan's death for a tainted mirror that should have been left alone.

But, Kali also knew that—although Ashara would never admit it—she was hurt by Merrill's decision. They had trained together as girls, had sat side-by-side as they dreamed about what sort of Keepers they would make. Kali knew that Ashara felt as though Merrill no longer cared for any of them, including her.

"I shouldn't have mentioned Merrill, huh?" Carver whispered to Kali.

She glanced at him. "Ashara won't admit it, but she does like to hear how Merrill is. The two of them _were_ friends once."

He shrugged, as if the whole situation was confusing to him. "Merrill's talked about Ashara, too. At least, she did when I knew her." He hesitated. "Kat also mentioned Anders in her letter, but maybe I shouldn't tell Ashara about that."

Kali put a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Go ahead, but only if you _really_ want to see her get mad."

Carver grinned and shook his head. "No thanks. I don't need to get my hair set on fire."

He chuckled and turned back to his meal, but Kali bit her bottom lip. "You can... tell me though. Is Anders... is he okay?"

She tried to keep the concern from her voice, but knew that Carver would hear it. Anders and Justice had been good friends of hers; they had been good friends of Ashara's, too; of all the Wardens. But, then Anders had decided that he and Justice should merge together to help the mages, a thing Ashara had flat out refused to allow to happen. In a rare moment of authority, Ashara had even gone so far as to actually order them not to.

Then, because they were her respected friends, Ashara had tried to talk to them individually. She had told Justice that helping the mages was a fine idea, but that as a spirit with no real understanding of the mortal mind, he couldn't handle merging with a human.

In private, with Kali there to try and help, Ashara had told Anders that they couldn't trust Justice. Sure, she had liked and respected him, but there was no such thing as a good possession. They couldn't even be sure that he was what he said! Ashara had admitted that Justice was no demon, but she had also said that no one knew much about the spirits of the Beyond and, if a spirit was willing to possess a conscious, living human, then how could they trust it?

But, all of her orders and pleas had done nothing, and Anders and Justice had merged together. Then, even worse than disobeying an order from their Commander, they had run away from Ferelden, abandoning the Wardens to go hide in Kirkwall. Ashara had been beyond furious when she'd found out. She had sworn that they were no longer Wardens and had spent days storming around the Keep in a fit of rage. For a while, Kali had thought that she would want to hunt them down, but Tamlen had said that they weren't worth it and, in the end, Ashara had agreed to leave them alone.

Personally, Kali kind of agreed with Ashara. She might not be a mage, but even _she _knew that humans and spirits shouldn't mix. But, that didn't mean that she could forget about them. Anders and Justice _had_ been her friends, and Kali had seen too many friends die; she couldn't just pretend they didn't exist anymore.

Carver frowned. "Kat said Anders is still trying to rescue as many mages as possible, but he's getting worse. They had a run-in with some templar—" he scanned the letter. "Ser Alrik. Apparently, Justice took over and almost killed a young girl. Kat had to talk him down, but she says she's getting worried about him."

"Is he really getting that bad?" Kali asked.

Carver scowled. "He was when I knew him. Always going on and on about the mages' plight, always telling me that because I was raised around mages I should understand their suffering and bend over backwards to help them."

Kali turned her head so that he wouldn't see her grin. Carver's resentment of his mage sister was well-known around the Keep, although she was glad to see that he had started to calm down. Maybe being a Warden, separated from his family, was helping him to see that he did care about Katerina. The two of them were constantly exchanging letters back and forth and it seemed that Carver didn't mind talking about his family, including the sister that had died, as much as he once did.

She was about to make a response, but then the door behind her opened and she saw Zevran walking towards the table.

As always, just the mere sight of him made her smile. They had been together for almost seven years now—a thought that still amazed her—and, although neither one of them had any plans of ever getting married, it was obvious to everyone that they loved each other. Zevran never wanted to actually go through the Joining, but he was content to stay at Vigil's Keep and help train some of the Wardens, although he was constantly joking that at some point he'd like to go back to Antiva.

He came to the table, taking the empty seat between Kali and Ashara, and Kali smiled. "Did you finish your talk with Wade?"

Zevran chuckled as he helped himself to some early salad leaves. "It is hard to tell if I truly got through to him or not. You know I am quite the connoisseur of beauty, of course, but even I apparently do not truly appreciate his artistic talent. I informed him that I only wish for those dragonbone daggers he promised me, but that set him off on a tirade about being unable to truly work a masterpiece."

Kali giggled. Wade's dramatic antics were well-known around the Keep. Some of the other Wardens liked to intentionally annoy him by asking him to make iron swords or bronze clubs, just so they could see him fling himself over the counter and sob about being forced to work for heathens. It drove Herren absolutely crazy. If not for the generous sum the Wardens paid them for their work, Herren probably would have taken them both back to Denerim.

She felt a light tug on her sleeve and looked back to see Anyu hopping from foot to foot, trying to show a patient face but clearly eager to say something. "What is it, Anyu?" Kali asked with amusement. Everyone absolutely loved the little Dalish girl. Although she was technically Ashara and Tamlen's child, she was treated as the daughter of the Keep. Everyone had a soft spot for her, everyone went out of their way to sneak her treats, or look the other way if she did something naughty. She had a way of making everyone smile just by showing a toothy grin and widening her eyes.

"Look!" The little girl held out her hands to show Kali the small swan she had made from folding napkins. "Gwen showed us how to fold animals!"

Kali took the little swan, making a big show of exclaiming over the folded wings and neck. "Look how pretty it is!"

Seith, the little Dalish boy who was Anyu's best friend and playmate, pushed past Anyu with a pout. "Look at mine! Mine's better!" He showed Kali his own little swan. "It's better than hers!"

Zevran laughed and shook his head. "Now, Seith, a gentleman never corrects a lady. You must let her believe that hers is better."

He tossed a wink at Kali, who laughed, but, clearly, Seith didn't appreciate the advice. He scowled at Zevran with all the superiority of a seven year old boy. "But it's not! Mine's better."

Anyu lifted her chin haughtily, a gesture so like Ashara that Kali chuckled to see it. "It is not! I'll show you!" She snatched the swan back from Kali and pranced over to Ashara and Tamlen. "_Mamae, Havhen,_ look at my swan!"

"No, look at mine!" Seith exclaimed, rushing after her.

Kali heard Ashara and Tamlen praising the two birds and turned back to her food with a smile. "So, _mi querida_," Zevran said casually, "what are your plans after supper?"

"I was thinking I might start showing some of the rogues how to use their throwing knives." The assassin adopted a mockingly sorrowful expression that made Kali smile. "Why? What did you have in mind?"

He gleamed at her. "Oh, I think you can imagine."

Kali laughed and scooted her chair towards him. "Well, I might be able to train them tomorrow," she said teasingly, "but, only if you're really nice to me."

"Excuse me," Carver said irritably. "Some of us are trying to eat, here. Maybe you could wait until _after _supper to start talking like that."

Zevran's grin only widened. "Do not be jealous, my handsome Warden. I am sure there are many ladies who would be willing to share your bed." He saw Carver's face flush a deep red and leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Or, perhaps your prefer men? I have heard of a rumor about a certain mage Warden named Keiran..."

Carver's ears were such a shade of deep crimson that for a moment it reminded Kali of Alistair, who could never get through a conversation with Zevran without blushing. Carver turned back to his meal, muttering about perverted assassins that needed to mind their own business.

Kali laughed and sat back in her chair. She absolutely loved being a Warden at Vigil's Keep.

oOo

Ashara scanned the letter from Queen Kira for the second time—as if reading it again might change the words—and sat back in her chair, closing her eyes and rubbing her throbbing forehead, wishing that she didn't have to deal with all of this.

Seneschal Varel, always polite and proper, tilted his head quizzically when he saw Ashara's gesture. "Trouble, Commander?"

Ashara raised her head and looked across the desk at him, managing a small smile. "I've told you a thousand times now, call me Ashara. All this 'Commander' business makes me uncomfortable."

Varel inclined his head but remained quiet. Ashara, knowing that it was pointless to argue, sighed and waved the letter. "It's a letter from the Queen. The Dalish Clans are having some trouble with one of the neighboring human villages. I'd heard that there was some trouble from Keeper Lanaya, but now Kira tells me it's getting worse."

The Seneschal raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"Apparently, some young men from one of the villages decided that they wanted to see the famous Dalish Clans, so they hiked into the forest to try and find them. And they did." Ashara frowned, trying to think of how to explain the Dalish reaction to a human who might not understand. "The Dalish... they're trying to learn how to live close to humans, but when four human boys storm into their homes without invitation, it's hard to put aside their natural fear."

The Seneschal nodded as if he did indeed understand. "What did the Dalish do?"

"They only scared the boys," Ashara said defensively. "They caught them and... well, they were probably _going_ to kill them, but before it got to that point Keeper Soora demanded that the Dalish release the humans. They had to listen to the Keeper, so the boys were sent home unharmed." Ashara sighed and rubbed her forehead; her headache was getting worse. "But now Kira tells me that the boys are swearing that the Dalish almost killed them, and now the villages are demanding that the Dalish be expelled."

"Ah, I see." Varel looked at her with sympathy. "Trying to make peace with two different races, each with their own prejudices and superstitions is a difficult task. They have lived side by side for years now; that alone is a great accomplishment."

Ashara leaned forward, resting her elbows on the hard wooden desk. "I understand that, but it's like we're trying to balance everything on a tightrope. One small shake and we'll all crash to the ground."

"However, the reward for that balancing act will be great." Varel smiled at her. "Does Kira make a suggestion on how to handle this?"

"She says that she and Alistair are going to go on progress this summer, to see some of the castles and speak to their people. They're planning to make a stop at Dragon's Peak and speak with the leaders of the villages that live near the Brecilian Forest. Hopefully, they can help to smooth the situation. And She wants me to go visit the Dalish Clans and speak to them."

Ashara set the letter down. "But, I can't go just yet. We still have work on Amaranthine that needs to be finished, and Gwen is still studying the effects of Warden blood, to see if what the Architect said is true." She frowned. "And, we have some new recruits that need to be tested to see if they should go through the Joining. I can send a message to the Keepers, but I don't know if I'll have the time to actually make a trip to the Brecilian Forest right now."

"Might I suggest that you go ahead and send a message to the Dalish? Explain the situation and remind them that we must all work together. Then, you can visit them this summer when the King and Queen are on progress. It is only a few months away, and you can take some of the Wardens with you. Perhaps seeing elven and human Wardens working together can help them to see that we can find peace."

Ashara brightened at the sensible advice. "That's a good idea. Thank you, Varel."

The Seneschal inclined his head politely, never one to take praise or thanks. Every time Ashara tried to tell him how much she appreciated his steady good humor and practical suggestions, he waved it away. "It's getting late," she said. "You can retire for the evening, if you like. We'll finish dealing with these letters tomorrow after evening meal."

Varel smiled. "Good night, Commander."

He left the room and Ashara stood up from the desk and opened the door on the side wall, which connected to the room she shared with Tamlen.

As she expected, Tamlen was sitting on the floor in front of the large fire, sharpening his knife on a sturdy whetstone. He looked up as soon as he heard her enter the room and smiled. "There you are, _vulpasha_." He saw the solemn look on her face and frowned. "What's wrong?"

She sat down on the edge of the bed and watched him set the whetstone and knife on the small table. "Just some problems between the _Elvhenan _and one of the human villages."

A look of concern passed over his face. "Anything serious?"

"Yes and no. Right now it's just a bad situation, but it could get a lot worse if we don't do something."

They both heard a soft knock on the door to their bedroom. Tamlen called that it was open, and Anyu walked confidently in with a slight pout on her face.

"Tiatha says that I have to go to bed soon, but I don't want to," she said with a little scowl, as if trying to appeal to them both.

At once Tamlen scooped her up in his arms and grinned. "You don't? But _da'len_ need their sleep or else they'll be too tired to train in the morning."

"It's not even dark out!"

Tamlen carried her over to the window, where they could both clearly see the moon and stars twinkling against a black sky. "It's not? Hmm, maybe we need to have your eyes checked." Ashara could hear the laughter in his voice.

Anyu giggled. "Well, it hasn't been dark for _that _long." She saw Tamlen's easy smile and decided to change tactics; Ashara watched her lower lip stick out. "_Havhen_, do I reeeaaallly need to go to bed now? I want to stay up with you and _Mamae_. Pleeeeaaaase?"

Ashara didn't need to hear Tamlen's laugh to know that he would give in. Anyu had him wrapped around her little finger. All she had to do was pout and adopt a baby voice, and Tamlen would give her whatever she wanted.

"Well, I suppose we could let you stay up for just a little bit, _da'vulpa_," Tamlen relented. He turned them both towards Ashara. "What do you think?"

Ashara didn't let him see how amused she was. "I guess so," she said, pretending to be reluctant.

Anyu pitched herself out of Tamlen's arms and flung herself at Ashara, wrapping her thin arms around her mother's neck and hugging her tightly. "_Ma serannas, Mamae_!"

Ashara's headache was starting to lessen; she kissed Anyu's warm cheek, which smelled of sunshine and flowers. "But, if you stay up you'll have to come downstairs with us."

Anyu's dark blue eyes, the perfect replica of her father's, widened. "What do you do downstairs?" The way she said it made it seem as though she half expected the adults were doing something exciting while she and Seith were asleep.

"Oh, it's really boring," Ashara said teasingly. "We sit with Kali and Zevran and just talk."

Most nights, after everyone was asleep and all the business was done for the day, found the four elves sitting down in the dining all, sharing a drink while they laughed and joked about nothing important. They had formed something of a bond over the years. All four of them had stood shoulder to shoulder against the Blight; they had dealt with everything together and understood each other in a way that the others didn't. Oghren was the only other Warden who understood what they had endured against the Blight, and occasionally he found his way down to join them. But, more often than not, he was passed out from drink long before the sun set.

Anyu's pale brows, almost invisible against her white skin, puckered together; she clearly didn't believe Ashara. "Uncle Zev is _never _boring."

Tamlen laughed. "And we are?"

"No, but he was a Crow! Oh! Maybe he'll tell me more stories tonight!"

"I'm sure he will," Ashara said easily. She and Tamlen never minded it when Zevran entertained Anyu with stories about his time as an assassin. He never told her things she was too young to hear; instead, he preferred to make it sound like he was a marvelous hero who helped save people from evil men; Ashara suspected that Zevran enjoyed telling those stories as much as Anyu enjoyed hearing them.

Anyu hopped down from the bed, eager for the chance to stay up late with the adults, and practically dragged her parents out of the room. "Then let's go!"

oOo

Leliana moved the flickering candle closer to the clean parchment on her desk, dipped her quill into the black ink and began to write, her lips pressed together on a grimace. Every now and then she would hesitate, sitting silent as the templars walked down the hall, keeping watch. She didn't want them to hear the scratch of her quill against the parchment.

The Seekers were determined to find answers to their most troublesome questions, and though the Divine herself had spoken for Leliana's loyalty to the Chantry, they still seemed to think the bard knew something she wasn't saying. Although Leliana didn't know anything that wasn't common knowledge, she felt that she owed it to her friends to warn them. She put the quill to parchment and began to write.

_My dearest friend,_

_How long has it been since we last spoke! I regret that our duties took us from one another, as I have heard of the great things you have done for your people, and would have liked to have __been there. Our time together is a subject of much discussion here in Orlais, as I am sure you can imagine. Many people have asked me all sorts of questions;__ so many that I find I have no answers for them._

_I recently encountered a puzzle that I would like to discuss with you, privately, and in person. I hope this request for your presence does not sound presumptuous, but I believe it to be very important._

_You will find me in the greatest city of Orlais._

_~L_

Leliana sat back in her chair and scanned the letter, trusting that if it fell into the wrong hands, they would not understand it. She trusted that Ashara would be able to read between the lines and hear Leliana's urgency; it was, after all, no small thing to ask the Warden-Commander of Ferelden to leave their country.

To Leliana, the Chantry was a good place of peace and reverence, but something about the way the Seekers had questioned her made her wonder. Were they truly concerned about something that had happened during the Blight? Or, were they concerned with _Elvhen_ heroes? Once, Leliana would have sworn that the Seekers had only pure intentions at heart, but now...

Now, it seemed as if they sought answers to a question that even the Divine didn't care about. Leliana didn't know what it was that they wanted, but she knew that she owed it to her friends to at least warn them.

She folded the letter and tucked it under her shirt, to keep it hidden until she could pass it on to Gavan, her good friend who had followed her to Orlais. He was the only one she could trust to smuggle it past the border to Ashara. Leliana knew that the Seekers would be alerted if she left the country. She wasn't exactly under house arrest, but she knew that, if she tried to cross the border, they would come for her.

Once Gavan had the letter, she would sneak out of the Grand Cathedral. If, Maker forbid, the letter was intercepted, the reader would assume that Leliana was meeting her friend in Val Royeaux. But, she knew that to Ashara, the proud Dalish mage, the greatest city in Orlais was _Halamshiral_, the city that had once been the capital of the Dales.

Silently, Leliana slipped out of her room and, taking care that no one saw her, went in search of Gavan.

* * *

_**Translations:**  
Mamae - mother  
da'vhenan - little heart  
Ma serannas - thank you  
eluvian - the word means mirror, but it's now used for the mirrors that were used for communication in Arlathan_  
_Falon'Din - Friend of the Dead; the twin brother of Dirthamen  
Dirthamen - the Keeper of Secrets, twin brother to Falon'Din  
bel'soren asha - stupid woman  
Havhen - father  
vulpasha - vixen; lit: female fox  
da'len - child/children  
da'vulpa - kit; lit: baby fox_**  
**

**_A/N: _**_Since the timeline of__ events between Awakening and DA2 can be a bit confusing, I pushed back the events of DA2 to coincide with this story. So, as of this chapter, Hawke is in Act 2. I hope that doesn't cause confusion to anyone, but it'll make things fit together more smoothly as the story gets going._

_Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, is reading, or requested alerts. It means a lot! _

_Special thanks and lots of hugs to my awesome beta Suilven, not only for patiently going through this chapter and fixing up all of my messes, but also because she's had a long, very exhausting weekend and still made time for me! I really appreciate it, sweetie!_


	3. Chapter 3

**II. White Rabbit**

_A light, warm, breeze, as soft as the touch of silk against the skin and carrying the fresh scent of pine and juniper, fluttered through the edges of the lush forest, rustling the dark emerald leaves with an airy dance. Ashara closed her eyes, as cozy as a newborn wrapped in fur, and leaned against the friendly rough bark of the graceful willow tree, who dipped its leaves into the calm river with a touch as light as a lover's caress._

_Next to Ashara, where the sunlight pierced through the canopy of trees and drenched the soft grass with a comforting warmth, lay Kali, sprawled out on her back with her arms above her head as she soaked up the golden rays, as content as a kitten nestled on a pile of warm blankets._

_It was a sunny, peaceful day; a lazy day. A day where the sun invigorated the skin and the soft breeze seemed to calm the mind. A day where even the animals seemed content to amble along slowly; where glittering dragonflies danced across the sparkling water and birds sang and chirped back and forth in the trees. The soft quacking of a family of ducks drifted back to the two women as they bobbed along the water, occasionally slipping __their beaks in to catch a bug._

_Ashara let out a contented sigh. She couldn't remember the last time she had ever __had a day to just relax, to simply enjoy a sense of peace; to __feel as if nothing could touch her or disturb this sense of harmony and serenity__._

"_Do you like it here, _da'len_?"_

_Ashara started at the voice and jerked open her eyes to see a stunningly beautiful _Elvhen _woman standing next to them, staring out over the sparkling water. The woman was as powerful and ancient as the majestic trees of the Brecilian Forest; rooted to the ground,__ yet giving the impression of always reaching towards the sky. Thick, dark hair cascaded down her slim shoulders, covering her naked torso in shining strands that seemed to catch the light and glimmer with a golden hue. Her skin was dark, as brown as the deep fresh soil of the earth after a night of rain, and her waist was covered with a wrapping of emerald green vines and leaves, curling around her body as if molded to her skin._

_Ashara recognized this woman, though she hadn't seen her in years. But, how could one forget the face of such a powerful being? "Sylaise," she whispered reverently. Kali immediately jumped to her feet, staring at the woman in awe, but Ashara got up a bit more slowly, unsure of what she was supposed to say or do. This was Sylaise, the Goddess of the Forest, one of the powerful Creators that watched over the _Elvhen_._

_The goddess turned her head to look at Ashara and Kali with a glint of joy in her moss-colored __eyes and the barest curl of a smile on her dark lips. "_Aneth ara, da'len_."_

_Ashara and Kali could do nothing but stare dumbly at this beautiful and powerful Creator. Sylaise noted their confusion and let out a lyrical laugh that echoed through the trees with a ring of joyous life. They all heard the chatter of birds as they sang in reply. "Did you think I had forgotten either of you?" Sylaise reached out a hand and, with a long brown finger, as graceful as the branches of a tree, lightly touched the _vallaslin_ woven around Ashara's neck;__ the swirling tattoo of vines and leaves. "You wear my symbol, after all. As does your sister." Her glittering eyes, shaded with depths of mystery, traveled to Kali's left shoulder, where the same design swirled over her golden skin._

_Ashara felt herself freeze at the barest hint of the goddess' power. Even this light touch made Ashara feel as though sparks had hit her skin. She swallowed nervously. "Goddess... er, Creator, I mean..."_

_Sylaise let out another delighted laugh. "Call me by my name, daughter."_

_Kali's eyes were almost double their size as she gaped in awe. "You're... I mean, Sylaise! You're really standing here!"_

_The goddess seemed to find Kali's shock extremely amusing. "Is it such a strange idea that I would wish to visit my daughters?" She turned her head away from them and looked out over the clear blue water sparkling under the vibrant sun. "There was a time when I could visit my children whenever I desired. My brothers and sisters and I would dance at your festivals and play with your _da'len_. But,__ no more." The pain and longing in her voice was so palpable it made Ashara want to cr__y._

"_Why?" Kali whispered._

_Sylaise turned her face, as grave and lovely as a marble statue, towards the little rogue. "We are trapped, _da'len_. Surely you know of what happened."_

_Kali flushed a dull shade of pink. "Oh, um... yes... I—I know the story of Fen'Harel__."_

_A bright smile suddenly broke out on the goddess' face as if she didn't care to dwell on Fen'Harel,__ making her look like an exuberant young woman. She waved a long arm towards the shimmering river. "So tell me, _da'len_, do you like it here?"_

"_It's beautiful," Ashara said slowly__. Beside her, Kali nodded eagerly._

_Sylaise held out a finger; at once a glimmering __dragonfly hovered over, its wings sparkling in the light. The goddess smiled at it before raising her hand and sending it on its way. "This is my home in the Beyond, my own imitation of the mortal forests; my place to stay until I am able to walk on land once more. I wished for you both to see it." The longing crept into her voice again. "Yet,__ for all our efforts, however beautiful we make the Beyond, it always seems to pale next to our mother's creations in the mortal world."_

_Kali bit her bottom lip and looked around in confusion. "So... this is real, then? We're actually here?"_

_The goddess tilted her head. "Yes and no, _da'len_. There are worlds upon worlds and, asleep or awake, you experience them beyond your mortal senses." She smiled her ageless smile. "This is the Beyond, the pl__ace where I call my home. I am a Creator; I have the power to call your spirits here while you sleep."_

_Ashara frowned, feeling a bit unsettled. "May I ask why you called us here, Cr... I mean, Sylaise?"_

_At once the goddess' face dissolved into sorrow, her eyes so filled with pain that it almost hurt to look at her. Her ability to flicker between such powerful emotions was as amazing as it was confusing. "There comes a time when the fates of mortals and gods combine. But, such time is fleeting, and the opportunities it presents are rare. There is such a chance approaching, a moment in which time may be altered and history forever changed."_

_Ashara and Kali exchanged a puzzled glance. Neither of them could understand what the goddess was talking about. "What do you mean?" Ashara finally asked._

_Sylaise's eyes traveled over the _vallaslin _on Ashara's neck and Kali's shoulder. "You both wear my symbol proudly on your skin. You profess your love for me to the world. Such an outward show of devotion must surely be__ rewarded, and so I shall tell you a step in the dance that will eventually come to pass."_

_Ashara's uncertainty was only growing; she had no idea what it was Sylaise was talking about. She glanced at Kali and saw that the little rogue looked almost as bewildered as she did. Sylaise was no longer warm and talkative as before. She was detached and regal, the very essence of the forest she resided in; mercurial and mysterious._

"_The time has come for the sword and shield to act." Her dark green eyes rested on Ashara. "You must answer the call in your blood. The moment is at hand for you to follow the path of your ancestors and walk amongst the ancient land."_

"_Walk the path of my ancestors?" Ashara repeated. The only path that she could think of wa__s the Long Walk, when the _Elvhen_ had made the long journey to the Dales after the Imperium had been destroyed and the _shemlen _had agreed to give them land of their own. "Am I supposed to go to the Dales?"_

_Sylaise inclined her head in an ambiguous gesture whic__h could have meant either yes or no. Ashara suddenly felt as though she was standing before the Keeper; she recognized the movement from Marethari and guessed that Sylaise was waiting for her to give the correct answer. Yet aside from the Dales, the only a__ncient land Ashara could think of was... "_Arlathan_?" The goddess smiled and Ashara shook her head, more in bewilderment than refusal. "I don't understand. No one's been to _Arlathan_ in years; I don't even know if the forest is passable. Why am I to go there__?"_

_But, __Sylaise's only answer was to turn her eyes to Kali. "And you, little one. Have you not thought that perhaps you might like to live among your own people? You shut yourself away in stone walls and walk among the humans, but would you not enjoy the chance to slip your roots into the ground and find your home?"_

_Ashara got the sense that Sylaise was hinting towards something important, but for the life of her she had no idea what that might be. Kali bit her bottom lip. "Do you mean my family?" She hesitated. "I guess... I mean I haven't been to the Alienage in a long time."_

"_I speak of your true people," Sylaise said gently. She reached out and delicately traced the _vallaslin _woven around Kali's left shoulder; Ashara saw the little rogue shudder. "The__ people that welcomed you, who brought you closer to the Creators that love you, who made you feel at home."_

"_The Dalish?" Kali asked, her brows furrowed together quizzically. "I could go to the Brecilian Forest. But,__why?"_

_The goddess' smile widened. __"The Brecilian Forest is not the only place to find the _Elvhenan_."_

_There was a silence for a time, as Kali stared at Sylaise. Finally, she whispered, "Do you mean Ashara's Clan in Kirkwall?"_

_Sylaise raised her head and looked between Ashara and Kali. "Your love for me has been rewarded by these two tasks I have provided to you. There is a purpose, one that will become apparent in time." She stepped back from the two women and raised her arms. Ashara could feel the edges of the Beyond begin to flicker and shift. "I have told you what you must do," she continued. "It is now your turn to act."_

_Before either one of them got a chance to say anything, to ask more questions or call out to the goddess, the ground was suddenly swept out from beneath them, and Ashara and Kali were falling._

With a start, Ashara jerked open her eyes and sat up in the large, comfortable bed in her room at Vigil's Keep. As she slowly became accustomed to the darkness, she looked around the quiet, calm room. The last of the embers were slowly dying in the fireplace, the windows were shut tightly, and the silence was thick. Everything was as it should be; nothing was out of place.

Ashara took in a deep breath to steady her nerves and looked down at Tamlen, fast asleep next to her, quietly muttering hunting instructions. She ran a hand through his dark gold hair and let out another breath.

What in Mythal's name was that dream about? Ashara hadn't seen Sylaise since the Blight, almost seven years ago. What had caused the goddess to call her again, and this time with Kali? And, what was that remark about Ashara traveling to _Arlathan_? There was nothing there. Everyone knew that the great _Elvhen _city had been destroyed by the Magisters, swallowed up whole and trapped underground.

Something about this whole situation was sending chills down Ashara's spine. She felt uneasy, but couldn't figure out why. Sylaise would never lead her or Kali astray. She was the gentle Goddess of the Forest, the Creator who loved all living things. So why, then, did Ashara feel so anxious?

Perhaps she should talk about the dream with Kali. She'd have to wait until they had a moment when they were both free, but Ashara knew it was something she needed to discuss. It was a serious matter to disobey a Creator when they gave a task. Ashara could no more ignore Sylaise's request than she could walk into the Chantry and bend a knee to the Maker. But, she could hardly just leave her responsibilities and travel to _Arlathan _Forest.

With a sigh of defeat, Ashara lay back down on the bed, piled the blankets over her and snuggled next to Tamlen, drawing comfort from the familiar feel of his body next to hers. But, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get warm all night.

oOo

The court was to begin their progress around the country at the beginning of Bloomingtide and, for the entire month of Cloudreach, the nobles were in a flurry of preparation. No one wished to be left behind in Denerim while the King and Queen traveled; who knew what might happen? What if the King decided that a bann was not taking proper care of his people, and a new position might become available for any of the land grubbing nobles present? Perhaps, what with all the feasting and dancing, a pretty daughter might even catch the eye of a powerful noble, and a betrothal could be arranged to advance the family.

It was still a new idea, an exotic and novel chance for the nobles to gain land, money, or advance their family. The Queen, Kira, had seen it done in Orlais. Every summer, Empress Celene would travel round the country, showing her face to the common people, dispensing justice and taking an active hand in the running of the realm. Kira's father had always told her that that was how a monarch made the people feel comfortable in the solidity of the Crown. It showed them that their King or Queen was happy and healthy, secure in their wealth and power. That was how the people felt assured in the steadiness of their rulers.

Kira had introduced the idea to Ferelden when she came to the throne, and it seemed as though the people enjoyed having monarchs that presented an approachable face. She and Alistair would, during the summer and autumn months, travel through Ferelden, visiting with the nobles and showing their faces to the commoners. They would put on plays and masques, celebrate Funalis and Satinalia with some of the villages, and then come home for the winter and spring months.

Kira sat at the large wooden desk in the solar, shifting through the numerous records and letters, the details of what each noble wished to bring on progress, and lists of their goods. The nobles each had to have their own tapestries and bedding for the grand estates they stayed in. They had to have their own horses which then needed to have stables provided, and their own servants that would have to have room and board. They had to bring their own tables and chairs, their own plates and dishes with their own family crests. Each noble family wanted to show off their wealth and grandiosity to the great castles the court stayed at. Every bann and lady wanted to preen in their own vanity.

It was Kira's job to ensure that they didn't cause too much of a strain on the grand estates they would visit. She had her records detailing the size of each grand castle, how many servants they commanded, how many rooms they had available. She was to ensure that they didn't tax their hosts too much.

She marked off minute checks next to the lists the nobles had sent her, dictating the information to a clerk who scribbled furiously on his writing desk, consolidating everything into one grand list for Kira's reference.

"And, please, remind Arl Bryland that his daughter absolutely _cannot _bring her entire chest of clothes," Kira remarked, her eyes scanning the letter Lady Habren had sent. She scoffed and tossed the letter aside. "I do not care how many dresses she claims to need; there is no need for her to change her gown three times in one day. Last summer, she commandeered an entire cart just for her clothing! We cannot have that."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the clerk replied, jotting down the mark.

"You're going to make me look bad, you know, what with all this work you're doing."

Kira lifted her head from the pile of letters and smiled to see Alistair standing in the doorway with his lovable, charming grin on his face. The clerk immediately sketched a bow and mumbled greetings, but Kira set the quill on its stand and sat back in her chair with an air of pride. "Well, one of us must concern ourselves with the business of the realm," she teased. "We cannot all play at sports with the knights."

Alistair laughed at that and waved a finger at her. "I'll have you know that our knights are now well prepared for anything that might occur, thanks to my constant diligence." Kira put a hand over her mouth to cover her giggle, and Alistair's eyes twinkled mischievously. He swept her a low, courtly bow. "Now, milady, I believe it is time for the evening meal. Would you allow me the pleasure of escorting you to the high table?"

Unable to keep a straight face, Kira stood up from the desk and smoothed down the front of her gown before holding out her hand regally to her husband. "Since you ask it so charmingly, how can I possibly say no to such a handsome man?"

He led her from the room and cleared his throat as they walked down the gallery covered with portraits of King Maric, Queen Rowan, and King Cailan. "There was something I did want to ask you about."

"Yes?"

"I received another letter from Knight-Commander Meredith—you know, from the Kirkwall Circle—complaining about the number of mages that have been made welcome in Ferelden." He chuckled. "She's not exactly what I would call a subtle woman; she's threatening action if the mages aren't returned."

Kira fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Has she ever stopped to ask herself _why _the mages of Kirkwall are escaping to Ferelden?"

Alistair beamed at her. "I doubt it. If anyone is full of righteous anger, it's her. People like that generally don't tend to wonder about their own actions. However, they do have a remarkable talent for judging everyone else. It's shocking, really."

"And, I assume the Viscount still remains adamant that he wishes to stay neutral? That he cannot do anything to provoke Meredith's ire?"

"Of course. But, the big problem is that now Grand Cleric Aceline is now offering up her opinion—unasked for, I might add—that we should send the mages back to Kirkwall to avoid problems with their templars."

Kira let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Of course she would say that," she mumbled. "Well, it does not matter. We are not going to hand over those mages simply because the Knight-Commander demands it. She holds no command over us."

Alistair nodded solemnly. "I thought the same thing. But, what if this causes problems with the Chantry?"

"We are all good servants of Andraste. It does not matter where the mages are, so long as they are in a secure place that can teach them how to cultivate their magic; where they can learn the responsibilities of their Maker-given gift." Kira frowned. "Furthermore, Greagoir has passed along some of the stories the mages from Kirkwall have told him of Meredith's harsh ways. I would not send a horse to her, let alone a mage."

"I agree," Alistair said. "But, you know, _I'm _the one who's going to have to send the announcement to both Meredith and the Grand Cleric." He shook his head. "I should make _you _do it. That way they can all be mad at you rather than me."

Kira chuckled and slid a hand up his arm. "Unfortunately, love, that is the price one pays for marrying an Orlesian woman and putting her on the throne of Ferelden."

He grinned and planted a light kiss on her shoulder. "A price worth paying."

The two of them entered the Great Hall to a flourish of music. As they walked down the center of the room to their table, Kira smiled to see the deep bows of the nobles already gathered. She had been at the Ferelden court for six years now, long enough to know that those bows were more for Alistair rather than her, but it was good to see that they respected their king.

Alistair had become far more popular than anyone would have guessed. He was kind to anyone who approached him, whether noble or common, and had an easy charm that made everyone around him glad to do him some little service or task. And, although it was Kira who generally dealt with the business of the realm, over these past years Alistair had learned everything he needed to know about how to govern a country. He impressed the nobles with his interest in their tenets, and held the respect of the soldiers for his work against the Blight and his willingness to train with them.

In addition, despite all of Kira's hard work for Ferelden, she had enough sense to hide her duties under a veil of wifely devotion in public. Whenever there were eyes upon her—especially if they were noble eyes—Kira always presented a demure face to those around. It showed the world that, although Ferelden had an Orlesian Queen on their throne, she would always defer to their Fereldan King. Over the past few years, it seemed to help stem the whispers of those who claimed that she would hand their kingdom to the Empress.

Of course, it was all show. In private, Alistair often asked for her opinion on everything from what theme they should have at a festival or dance, to matters of foreign policy or trade. The servants, or those close to the throne, knew the reality, but Kira didn't mind the facade so long as it kept the nobles from igniting fears about her nationality.

They sat at the head of the table, and Alistair nodded that the servants could begin bringing out the meal. Regina, Kira's favorite maid, brought her a plate piled high with fresh fruit and warm bread, set it on the table and sketched an informal curtsey.

Kira smiled at the young elf. "Thank you, Regina."

"You are welcome, my Lady." Regina gave another curtsey to Alistair before fluttering off to join the rest of Kira's ladies at their table, a mixture of humans and elves.

Kira could not contain her joy at seeing humans and elves sitting side-by-side at her and Alistair's court. If there was one thing she was proud of during the reign she and Alistair shared, it was that. They did everything they could to ensure that humans and elves were treated as equals and, although it was far from perfect, it was still encouraging to think of how far they had come.

She glanced down the long table she sat at to see the Bann of the Denerim Alienage, Shianni, sitting next to her husband Nelaros. Over the six years she had been a member of the Landsmeet, Shianni had quickly grown popular amongst the elves, who saw her as their chance to improve their lot in life. She had a habit of shocking the nobles with her blunt and forward speech, but Kira had taken an odd liking to the fiery redhead.

Thanks to her matter-of-fact description of the Alienage, Kira and Alistair had been quick to hire builders to patch the walls and to decree publicly that humans could no longer own any property that rightfully belonged to the elves. With Shianni as their Bann, the elves could now own businesses in their own right, and make decisions for themselves.

A few nobles had squeaked at the idea of losing some of their property, but they didn't complain too loudly. It helped matters that, with proper training, the elves brought a lot of profit to Denerim. Their seamstresses surpassed anything a human woman could make, and their carpenters were growing famous for their craft. Shianni often joked it was because elves had nimble fingers that helped them work.

_A fine legacy we are building_, Kira thought sadly, _if only we had a child to come after us. _She lowered her eyes and took a sip of her spiced wine. Six years she and Alistair had been trying to conceive a child, and so far they had nothing to show for it. They were realistic enough to know that it was perhaps hopeless; she and Alistair both had the darkspawn taint flowing in their veins. They might not be Wardens any longer, but the effects of the Joining remained the same.

Yet, Ashara had been able to conceive a child after undergoing the Joining. It was not impossible for a Warden to get pregnant. Kira tore some of the bread on her plate apart, but didn't take a bite. She wondered—as she often did when she thought of the barren throne—if it had really been a wise choice to marry Alistair. She loved him with a passion that had endured through the years, and she couldn't deny that she did enjoy being Queen. She was in a position to make the country a little bit better, and to help bring peace between Ferelden and Orlais.

But, every year that her womb remained empty, she saw the nobles watch her a bit more critically and heard their whispers grow a little bit louder. There was even talk that Arl Eamon would perhaps approach Alistair with the idea of putting her aside, as he had once intended to do with King Cailan. Although Alistair no longer trusted him as he once did, nothing would halt the man's meddling. And part of Kira could not blame him. For, however peaceful and wealthy the country, what would happen without an heir to follow?

Alistair would never put her aside; she did know that. He loved her. But, the fact remained that she was in her thirtieth year; her fertile years were slipping away, if she was ever fertile to begin with. Soon, they would have to face the reality: they would never make a child to follow them on the throne.

So, what then? Even if Alistair refused to put her aside, they still needed someone to come after them, or else the nobles would wage another civil war over the Crown. She and Alistair would have to cast their eyes around Ferelden and search for an heir. Perhaps the most suitable, and sensible, choice would be to speak with Teagan, Alistair's Chancellor and best friend, about his coming child. Kira looked around the room and saw his pregnant wife, Kaitlyn, seated next to him with her hand over her round stomach.

Their child would be as good of birth as Queen Rowan; indeed the child would be her niece or nephew. He or she would not have Theirin blood, but it would be from a strong Ferelden family, a family that had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with King Maric when he fought for the throne. Yes, perhaps she should speak with Alistair about the possibility of approaching Teagan and Kaitlyn to ask if they would allow it.

"So, my Queen," Alistair said softly, breaking into her thoughts, "I'm thinking of going out for a ride after this. We received some new horses from Orlais—a gift from your cousin, the Empress—and I'd like to see how they are. Would you like to join me?"

Kira smiled pleasantly, aware that all eyes were on them, as was often the case when they dined publicly. "I should like to join you, my lord," she said, taking care to sound demure and sweet.

Alistair smiled mischievously; he knew the part she had to play in public, and loved to tease her about it in private. "Then hurry up and finish eating! Maybe this time we can outpace everyone else and catch an hour or two to ourselves."

She covered her mouth to hide her giggle at his naughty wink. "I am sure we can."

oOo

Kali walked around the gathered Warden rogues in the training yard of Vigil's Keep, watching with a keen eye as they struggled to hold their throwing knives correctly. Every so often she would stop and adjust an arm here, or a grip there. "We're going for speed here," she reminded them, "which is why we're using lighter knives. You don't want to grip it too tightly; you want to pinch the knife with your thumb and index finger."

Once all five of them were holding the knives properly, Kali moved on to the correct stance. Pulling out one of the small knives from the belt around her waist, she walked in front of them. "Now, watch me." She got into the proper stance, and turned her head to look back at them to make sure they were watching closely. "See how my left foot is in front while my right foot is in back? That's because I'm going to throw with my right hand. If you're left handed, you want to do the opposite. Make sure that both of your knees are bent, and take care that most of your weight is on the ball of your back foot.

"Now, watch how I throw the knife." She held both arms out straight towards the training target, set about twenty feet away. Then, trying to keep her movements sharp and clear to the Wardens watching, she drew back her right arm, pausing for a few seconds so that they could see that the knife was even with her ear. When swinging her arm forward, she tried to make it obvious that her weight was shifting towards the front foot. Once the knife was in line with the target she quickly let go, snapping her fingers together and letting her arm continue with its movement.

They all watched the blade bury itself right inside the center mark, and Kali turned around to the other Wardens. "There are a couple of things to note. First, it's very important to follow through with the movement even though you've thrown the knife. Second, don't just flail your arm out; make sure that you keep in control of your muscles to keep the movement smooth. If you don't, you'll end up pulling something. Third, make sure that your wrist stays stiff the whole time."

The Wardens nodded eagerly, and Kali smiled at their fervent behavior. "Okay, we're going to practice the movements a few times before you actually start throwing the knives. Otherwise, you'll end up hitting everything _except_ the targets."

They began to practice the stance and correct movements while Kali walked around. She was pleased to see that they had paid close attention and learned quickly; after a few minutes she decided to let them try actually throwing the knives. One at a time, they each tried to throw the knife properly, and Kali was proud at their accuracy. Although they didn't hit the center, each of them managed to hit the targets.

Of course, they were all feeling proud and much more confident, and Kali beamed at them all. "See? Having the correct stance can do wonders. Let's try it again."

They practiced a few more times—each time getting better and better—when Kali noticed Zevran walking down into the courtyard, waving at her to try and catch her attention. She turned back to the Wardens. "Go ahead and try it one more time, and then take a short break. I'll be right back."

She walked over to Zevran, who had turned his attention to the practicing Wardens. Kali saw him put on his seductive smile as he turned to her. "I am sorry to interrupt your training; it is delicious to see you instructing the rogues, my little Warden." He lowered his voice to an intimate whisper. "You are so... dare I say... _commanding_."

Kali, who after six years was only too used to Zevran's flirtatious comments, sniffed and turned her head away as if his sly voice didn't still send her stomach into a flurry of butterflies. "They need a firm hand," she said, widening her eyes innocently.

Zevran's eyes danced at her comment. "I can think of someone else who needs a firm hand."

Unable to keep a straight face any longer, Kali laughed. "Sorry, but I _do _need to keep up with their training. I want them to be comfortable with throwing knives before we meet with the Dalish next month to try and settle this argument between them and the human villages. You'll have to wait until this evening."

"I will hold you to that promise," he said cheerfully. "However, I did come for another reason. Our charming Keeper is in her study, and asked that I come fetch you."

"Oh, is something wrong?" It wasn't like Ashara to stay shut up in her study during the daylight hours. She preferred instead to come outside in the sunlight and take an active part of Warden training or business. Usually she only answered letters after the evening meal.

"I do not know. She simply asked if I would find you."

Kali nodded and followed Zevran up the stairs and into the Keep. As they walked through the halls and passed by the kitchens, her attention was caught by Anyu and Seith, the two Dalish children, exiting the kitchens with plates piled high with apple dumplings and their faces covered with syrup. When they saw Kali and Zevran, they immediately froze like frightened deer, their eyes wide; guilt in every pore.

"What are you two doing?" Kali said in exasperation, frowning at the two children. "Anyu, you know Ashara doesn't like you eating sweets so early! And Seith, I doubt Tiatha would be pleased either!" She put her hands on her hips. "Besides, aren't you both supposed to be helping Sigrun today? What are you doing in the kitchens?"

"Um..."

Before Anyu had time to think of a way out—or to play on Kali's soft spot for her—Sigrun walked out of the kitchens calmly, as messy as the children, with her own plate of apple dumplings. When she saw Kali and Zevran she stopped short, a mirror image of the caught children.

"Sigrun!" Kali threw up her hands, torn between laughter and frustration. "I thought you were supposed to be helping with the horses today! What are you doing?"

The dwarf waved her off. "We deserved a break." She winked at the two children. "Didn't we? Besides, these apples aren't going to last forever, and that cook, Brielle, makes dumplings fit for the Ancestors. Better to eat them now while they're fresh."

Zevran laughed. "You know, for a dead woman you seem to cause a remarkable amount of trouble."

Sigrun rolled her eyes and raised herself up to her full height—which was only barely taller than the two children—looking awfully dignified for a member of the Legion of the Dead. "Excuse us, but we have apple dumplings to eat before they get cold. You're interrupting."

Kali couldn't help but laugh. "You've been spending way too much time around Gwen and Nathaniel. All right, I give up. Go eat your dumplings. Just make sure Ashara doesn't catch you tempting the children away from their work or else, instead of just brushing down the horses, you'll be forced to clean out the stables for a week."

Sigrun grinned at that and turned to the children. "You heard the Second, nuggets. Let's go eat fast before our Commander catches us and we're all in trouble!"

The three of them scampered off, giggling over their triumph as they tried to balance their plates. Kali and Zevran exchanged a look and shook their heads, unable to keep from laughing.

Still chuckling, they continued up the stairs to Ashara's study, the room she used to organize and answer the constant stream of messages that came to her as the Warden-Commander. Kali looked at the pile of letters on the desk and thought, not for the first time, that she was grateful to be Second. She wouldn't even begin to know how to answer all of the formal letters, although she knew that Ashara wasn't exactly what one would call diplomatic in her responses.

As usual, the large window was thrown open to catch as much light and wind as possible, and the fireplace was strewn with herbs Ashara had collected over the years. Their scent gave the Kali the impression of standing in a forest right after a night of rain. Ashara had never gotten used to the feeling of being surrounded by stone walls, and did everything she could to make the place feel like her true home among the Dalish.

Kali looked at Ashara and Tamlen standing over the desk and had the strange thought that, no matter how long the two of them lived with the Wardens, their hearts belonged in the wilds with their kin. They might address humans as friendly as they would the Dalish and don Warden armor, but Kali had the sudden thought that it was only a matter of time before they went back to their own people.

She shook her head to clear herself of such weird ideas, and for the first time noticed a strange elf standing in Ashara's study with his back to the small fire. He noticed Kali's eyes on him and jerked his head in something of a nod.

Kali frowned; he looked really familiar. He had dark hair and a lazy expression on his face, but sharp eyes that seemed to miss nothing. Kali knew she had seen him before, but for the life of her she couldn't place it.

Ashara must have noticed Kali's puzzled look, since she waved her hand at the stranger. "Kali, Zevran, you remember Gavan, don't you? He's Leliana's... friend. The one who helped us during the Blight and brought Kira and Aric into Ferelden."

"Oh! That's right!" Kali reached out and shook his hand. "It's nice to see you again, Gavan. How have you been?"

Gavan gave her a tired smile and nodded politely at Zevran. "Oh, pretty good. Been running some errands and scouting information for some of the Orlesian nobles. The Grand Game is a lucrative business if you know how to exploit it."

"Indeed it is," Zevran said merrily. "I imagine one can make quite a bit of money if they play their hand correctly."

Gavan nodded. "I forgot you were a Crow. You'd know all about it then, eh?"

"Quite right. Although I never had the pleasure of participating myself, I do know that the Crows tend to enjoy playing one noble off another, if only because they pay well."

"So, what brings you to Ferelden?" Kali asked when the two men grew silent.

Gavan inclined his head towards Ashara, who exchanged a glance with Tamlen before clearing her throat. "He brought me a letter from Leliana; I think you might want to read it." She handed the letter to Kali.

"Leliana?" Kali was confused; they hadn't heard from Leliana for over a year. Occasionally, she liked to send them news of Orlais and greetings, as one old friend to another, and generally Ashara responded in the same vein, but Leliana had never before sent anything terribly important.

She scanned the letter, her eyes widening as she read it. Then, she looked at it again, unsure of whether she had read it correctly. "Why does Leliana want to meet with you? What happened?"

They all looked at Gavan, who shrugged. "She didn't tell me anything. All I know is that the Seekers were asking her some questions about the Blight."

"The Blight?" Ashara asked, as swiftly as a soldier drawing his blade. "What do they want to know about the Blight?"

Gavan shook his head. "She didn't tell me, I swear. All I know is that they were asking her about the Blight, and that as soon as they were done questioning her, she gave me the letter and made me swear to put it in your hands alone."

Ashara was silent for a minute. Then, she looked at Leliana's friend. "Did you read the letter?"

He didn't even blink. "Of course."

She nodded as if she wasn't in the least bit surprised. "What did you think when you read it?"

"I thought it was a big deal to ask the Warden-Commander to leave Ferelden, especially since, as this note implies, you'd have to come into the country in secret." He straightened up. "But, I also know that Leliana wouldn't ask something like this if she didn't think it was important."

"I am inclined to agree with Gavan," Zevran said. "Leliana is no fool. Where does she ask to meet you?"

"I assume _Halamshiral_," Ashara replied.

Kali tilted her head. "She said the greatest city of Orlais. Wouldn't that be Val Royeaux?"

Ashara waved her comment aside. "_Halamshiral _was the capital of the Dales, the greatest city since _Arlathan _fell. It's saturated in ancient magic and the beautiful craftsmanship of our ancestors. Surely that's greater than anything _shemlen _could create."

Gavan choked on a laugh. "Andraste's ass, Leliana must know you better than I thought. I wondered why she put such an obvious thing in the letter."

"I'm sure you're tired after your journey, Gavan," Ashara said suddenly. "Why don't you go down to the kitchens and get something to eat? I'll tell Seneschal Varel to get a room ready for you." Gavan didn't bother to question why she wanted to get him out of the room; instead he just nodded and left without another word.

As soon as he was gone, Ashara bit her thumbnail and turned to stare out the window. "This worries me. Leliana is questioned by the Seekers about the Blight, and then sends a message asking me to come to Orlais and meet her."

Tamlen leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. "What could the Seekers possibly want to know about the Blight?"

Ashara turned from the window. "You know the Chantry isn't happy with us, _emma'lath_. We had to conscript every single mage that has joined the Wardens, and I don't think the Grand Cleric is every going to forgive me for conscripting Anders; especially since he abandoned us for Kirkwall and the Chantry has no idea where he is."

"But, what could they hope to find?" Kali asked.

"I might have an idea," Zevran said. They all turned to look at him. "You told me that a Grey Warden is supposed to die when they kill the Archdemon, yes? Yet Morrigan performed a ritual with Alistair that enabled her to conceive a child that possesses the soul of the Archdemon, one that also kept you alive. Could the Chantry have discovered this?"

Tamlen shook his head. "I doubt it. If the Seekers had found Morrigan and her child, I'm sure we would have heard about that by now."

"I agree," Ashara said. "Besides us, the only people who know are Morrigan, Alistair, and Kira; and Kira doesn't even know the full extent of it. Alistair and Kira would never say anything, and Morrigan is nothing if not crafty. I'm sure she's been able to keep well hidden. Even the Dalish haven't seen any sign of her."

"They've been looking?" Zevran asked.

Ashara looked a bit sheepish. "Not looking, exactly. But, I asked them to tell me if they see some sign of her. I just thought... I'd like to know how she's doing."

Kali frowned as the others kept trying to dissect what the Seekers might be asking about. She tried to listen to them, but she couldn't seem to ignore a flutter of anxiety that was settling into her stomach. Something was wrong. She felt... afraid, almost.

She bit her bottom lip and stared at the small fire as if she could find an answer from the dying flames. What did she have to be afraid of? It shouldn't matter if the Seekers were asking questions about the Blight. The Chantry didn't have any rights over the Grey Wardens. Even if the Seekers tried to enforce domination over them, Kira and Alistair would defend them. It wasn't like the Wardens at Vigil's Keep were friendless.

Even the First Warden at Weisshaupt didn't have any control over them. Over these past six years, it had been clearly established that the Fereldan Grey Wardens looked after themselves. Occasionally, Ashara would receive messages from the Wardens of Nevarra or Antiva to exchange thoughts and ideas and, on very rare occasions, some of the foreign Wardens came for a visit, or asked if they could scout in the Deep Roads. But, for the most part, Ferelden stood by itself and the First Warden had given up trying to lord it over them.

So what, then, did they have to fear from the Chantry?

"Kali!"

Startled by Ashara's voice, Kali jumped and looked around to see the other three staring at her. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I didn't hear what you said."

"I was telling Tamlen and Zevran about our dream the other night, where Sylaise came to speak with us. Do you remember it?"

"Oh, um, actually, I—I do." Kali hesitated. "I just... I thought it was just me. So, then, it _was_ real? That was actually one of the Creators?"

Ashara nodded. "Yes, that was real. I was waiting for a chance to talk to you about it, but with all the preparation for traveling to the Brecilian Forest, I hadn't gotten a chance." She turned an anxious face to Tamlen and Zevran. "Sylaise told us that since we loved her, she was going to give us tasks."

Zevran raised an eyebrow. "She rewards you with work?"

"There's more to it than that," Ashara retorted. "To my knowledge, it's been years since any of the _Elvhen _have been given tasks by one of the Creators. Just speaking to us is an honor beyond what any Dalish could hope for." She bit her thumbnail. "Sylaise told me to go to _Arlathan_ and Kali to go to our Clan in Kirkwall."

The swirling tattoo on Tamlen's forehead twitched irritably. "Why would she tell you to do that?"

Ashara twisted away from the desk and began pacing like a caged animal. "I don't know, but I'm starting to get worried. I just... Sylaise tells us to go do something..." Ashara waved the letter. "And, now, Leliana is asking me to leave Ferelden and visit her in Orlais. The timing just seems too... convenient."

"So, what should we do?" Tamlen asked with concern. "You can't disobey a Creator. But, should we go see Leliana?"

"I don't know," Ashara admitted. "Leliana was trustworthy and a good friend while we fought against the Blight but, it's been six years since we've seen her, and she's still a member of the Chantry. What if this is some trick to get us into Orlais?" She twisted the long strands of her black hair around her fingers. "Part of me thinks we should do what Sylaise said; if Tamlen and I do go to _Arlathan _Forest, we could travel through Orlais and meet with Leliana."

She paused in her agitated pacing. "But, this isn't a small thing. If we do this, we'd have to abandon our Wardens, our people, everything. Can we really do that?"

Kali felt her skin grow cold at the suggestions. Zevran glanced at her and put an arm around her shoulders. "No one will make this choice lightly, _mi querida. _If you go, so do I, but we will explore all options first."

"What should we do?" Kali whispered to no one in particular.

It was Ashara who answered. She raised her head up, looking once again like the determined leader that had brought them against the Blight. "If Sylaise really has a task for us, we'd be stupid not to do what she says. Angering a Creator isn't exactly the smartest thing in the world. But... we can't just abandon everything. I'll have to go to the Beyond and see if I can call her, especially now that she brought me to her corner. I should be able to find my way back."

She turned to Tamlen and Zevran. "You two need to go pay a visit to the Chantry in Amaranthine. If the Seekers really are asking questions about the Blight, I imagine the Chantry here will know about it." Her face darkened. "For all we know, they might actually be keeping an eye on us."

"Is that possible?" Kali asked. "Could they be watching us without us knowing about it?"

Zevran frowned thoughtfully. "It is doubtful, but not entirely impossible."

Tamlen nodded. "Especially since there are many people here who regularly visit them. They might be offering up information about us without even knowing it."

"All I know is that I don't trust the Chantry any more than I would Fen'Harel," Ashara stated. "If the Chantry does know something, it would be the Revered Mother who knows about it. I don't care how you two do it: trap her into revealing something; sneak in there and rifle through her papers; do whatever you have to, to find information."

Tamlen let out a harsh laugh. "I shouldn't be so eager to break into the chantry, but for some reason I am."

Zevran shared in his amusement, but Kali bit her bottom lip anxiously, unable to shake the feeling that this was going to get really rough. "Um, what do you want me to do, Ashara?"

"You're going to come with me to the Beyond and try to find an answer."

"But, I'm not a mage."

Ashara turned her hard violet eyes to Kali, looking through her as if to see into the distance, all the way to wherever _Arlathan _Forest was. "You don't have to be a mage. We have plenty of lyrium that I can use to bring you into the Beyond. But, we need to get a clearer picture. We can't make a decision until we have an idea of what's going on."

* * *

_**Translations:**  
da'len - child/children  
Elvhen - elves  
Sylaise - Goddess of the Forest  
Aneth ara - informal greeting  
vallaslin - lit: blood ink; the tattoo the Dalish get at their coming of age; each tattoo represents a different Creator  
Fen'Harel - the Dread Wolf; god of chaos who trapped the Creators in the Beyond  
Elvhenan - the Dalish word for themselves; a reference to their believe that they are the only "true elves"  
emma'lath - my love  
_

_**A/N:** Lots of thanks to Wyl for his suggestion on slipping little things to help remind everyone that it's been about six years since the last fic. I mentioned to him that it was weird to write some of the characters since they've all grown over the years. Kali, especially, is really awkward to write since she isn't as innocent as she used to be (after six years with Zevran, how could she be?), and Wyl made the suggestion of how to add in the reminders without being obvious about it.  
_

_Big hugs and thank yous to Suilven for her awesome beta work, and for her suggestions that are, as always, spot on! She also helped me to figure out how to handle Kira and Alistair's section. Kira is politically astute enough to know that if she's seen making decisions for Ferelden, some of the nobles might have a problem with it since she's from Orlais, so I figure in public she would try to act like the Fereldan King holds the reigns. But I didn't want it to seem like she had cast off her entire personality to become a demure, obedient woman (and I doubt Alistair would be happy with a wife like that), so Suilven helped me to figure out how to explain the situation so that it made more sense.  
_

_Thank you to everyone reading, reviewing, or requesting alerts! It really means a lot!_


	4. Chapter 4

**III. Shadow Play**

Kali had never before been _willingly_ taken into the Beyond. It was true that she had been there many times before—Ashara often said that anytime someone dreamed, their soul went to the Beyond—but this time was different from anything Kali had ever experienced before. For one, she had never been conscious when taken; for another, she certainly couldn't remember the feel of the Veil.

It was such a strange sensation; she found herself wondering if mages always felt like this when they traveled to the Beyond. If so, she had a much bigger respect for their fortitude, because it was very uncomfortable to feel yourself lift out of your body. All Ashara had done was pour a few bottles of lyrium into a giant bowl, start whispering words that Kali didn't understand and, the next thing Kali knew, her skin started itching and tingling. She suddenly felt weightless, like she could fly if she wanted to, but she could feel herself almost floating away.

Then, in the blink of an eye—during which Kali was almost positive she felt something pulling at her—both women were standing in a thick, dark forest. Kali wasn't able to recognize different trees like Ashara could—they all looked the same to her—but something told her that they were in the place Sylaise had called them to. She felt warmth swirl around her, like her very bones were being wrapped in a warm cloth. This place felt peaceful.

But, that didn't make her feel as comfortable as it probably should have. She glanced nervously at Ashara, who was standing beside her, looking around the area. "Um, Asha? Are you... _sure _that this is a good idea? I mean, what if Sylaise doesn't want us here?" Kali didn't pretend to know much about the personalities of the Creators. She knew their stories and teachings well enough—Ashara had made sure of that—so she knew that Sylaise was renowned for her sweetness and patience. In fact, Kali had never heard of a single story where Sylaise grew angry.

However, she was still a Creator, with power beyond anything Kali could imagine. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to storm into her home and demand answers? What if she got angry with them? Kali didn't know how someone was supposed to talk to a Creator. What if Sylaise took offense to something they said?

In addition to all this worry, Kali was still battling her astonishment that the Creators were even real. For her entire life, before she became a Grey Warden, she had believed in the Maker, a silent god who had turned his back on his people. But, then Ashara had started talking about the Creators, and Kali had wanted to learn more about the gods of her ancestors. Though she had never really expected them to be real!

During the Blight, when Ashara had sworn that she had spoken to Sylaise in a dream, Kali hadn't really given it that much thought. Even when Kali had been accepted into Ashara's Clan, when she had gone through the formal ceremony and got the _vallaslin _on her shoulder, she had thought it was all symbolic. She had never thought that marking herself as a member of the Dalish would one day lead her to seeking out Sylaise in the Beyond.

Obviously, she was wrong about all of that, which made her nervous. She was used to fighting, used to living the life of a Warden. She was used to seeing her enemy and knowing how to fight it, not searching for a powerful creature that she couldn't understand. She had no idea what the Creators wanted, or even what she was supposed to do.

"If Sylaise didn't want us to come here, we wouldn't be here," Ashara said calmly. "She's stronger than I could ever hope to be; I'm sure she has ways to keep us out." Her words were steady, but Kali knew her too well. She knew that the way Ashara kept biting her thumbnail meant that she was anxious.

"So, how are we supposed to find her?"

At that question, Ashara dropped the calm facade and glanced around hesitantly. "I would have thought that she'd be aware of our presence the moment we set foot here. She said this was her home, didn't she? So, how could she not notice our arrival?" Ashara hesitated. "Maybe she's waiting for something? Or, maybe we should go to the little river where she first called us?"

Kali felt like a thousand butterflies had been released in her stomach. "And, you're _sure_ she's not going to be mad at us?"

"Um, well, no. Actually, I'm not... positive." The mage twisted strands of her hair around her fingers. "I'm just going on what I know about her, and that she's already invited us into her home once."

Well, _that _certainly didn't make Kali feel any better. Sylaise had already demonstrated her power by calling both of them to the Beyond at once, while they were sleeping. According to Ashara, a powerful demon could entice someone past the Veil, but that person had to go willingly. There _was _that demon in the Circle Tower that had trapped all of them in the Beyond, but even Wynne had said that that was a rare instance. The demon had only been able to do that because of the power it drew from the dead mages. Apparently, for Sylaise to call two separate people in the mortal world past the Veil—without them even noticing—was an impressive show of her power.

So, if Sylaise was skilled enough to do that, what would happen to them if they made her mad? Ashara had tried to assure her that, in all the stories of the Creators, there was never a single instance of Sylaise growing angry. She was peaceful, calm, and patient. But, that led Kali to wonder what would happen if she and Ashara were the first ones to make Sylaise angry, which wasn't really a comforting idea.

Still, she followed along silently behind Ashara as the mage slowly picked her way through the forest, knowing that this was the best option open to them. They _had _to find more answers. Kali loved the Dalish as her own people; she was honored that she could introduce herself as a member of the _Elvhenan_, and delighted in passing their stories on to Shianni, who would then tell the Alienage children so that they could grow up with a sense of pride. But, she didn't feel the ties to the Creators that Ashara did. Kali was amazed to know that they were real, and couldn't fathom _why _they had chosen to talk to her, but she still couldn't just drop everything to do what Sylaise had said.

"I can hear water," Ashara said suddenly. She pointed to an area ahead of them, where Kali could see peeks of light filtering through the canopy of trees.

Kali bit her bottom lip; sure enough, she could hear the muffled sounds of rushing water. "I don't like being so pessimistic, but what are we going to do if she isn't there?"

Ashara's violet eyes widened in her uncertainty, making her look years younger. "I... don't know. Maybe we could try calling for her?"

The two fell silent as they continued walking towards the sounds of water, each of them thinking about their own hesitancy. Kali knew that Ashara was suddenly filled with doubts, and couldn't really blame her. This had seemed like such a good idea when they were safe in Vigil's Keep, but, now that they were in the Beyond, with no real way to defend themselves, it suddenly seemed like they were walking into danger. And, when they finally reached the clearing where Sylaise had called them to before, that danger seemed to increase tenfold.

Because it wasn't Sylaise who stood beside the glittering river. It was another woman, and she didn't look pleased to see them at all.

Ashara and Kali immediately froze, staring at this new woman as if she was a bear that might suddenly attack. She was as beautiful as Sylaise had been but, at the same time, they were as different as night and day.

That she was _Elvhen _was immediately obvious, due to her slim ears, but they were longer than any ears Kali had ever seen before. She looked wild and defiant, like a warrior; but she held her head like a queen, and wore strange armor that Kali didn't recognize. It looked like she was wearing a type of leather armor—leather that conformed to the slender curves of her body as if it had been specially made for her—but Kali had never heard of silver leather. It even shimmered with a glow that made Kali think of the moon. The woman had matching gauntlets around her arms, and her legs were wrapped in soft, pure white fur.

Her white skin seemed almost golden under the bright rays of the sun, and her dark red hair—so dark that it looked almost black—was twisted away from her face, held back with glowing beads and glittering feathers. Her appearance alone was so strange and wild, but her dark green eyes held such anger in them that Kali felt a sudden urge to run and hide.

"Who are you to set foot here without being called?" the woman demanded. Her deep, rumbling voice held such force, and reminded Kali of the talking werewolves they had once encountered in the Brecilian Forest. "You were given your tasks. Why do you not do them?"

Beside her, Kali felt Ashara swallow nervously before saying quietly, "We... we came to ask Sylaise—"

"Fools!" The power behind the woman's savage growl forced both Kali and Ashara to their knees. Kali covered her ears from the harsh anger, but it was as if she could still hear the woman in her mind. "Do you need such things spelled out for you? Are your mortal minds so weak that you cannot listen?"

"Be at peace, Sister." At the calm, melodic voice, Kali hesitantly lifted her head to see Sylaise suddenly standing next to this terrifying woman, with a hand on her arm. "These are our children, the first _da'len _we have spoken to in ages. Why do you frighten them?"

"You risk yourself by even speaking with them," the woman hissed. "Yet, they are as greedy as every mortal, with their arrogance and demands."

"They have not our knowledge," Sylaise replied. "We cannot fault them for that." She turned a gentle smile to Kali and Ashara. "Rise, _da'len_. We are not golden idols to be worshiped; you are not required to kneel before us."

Slowly, Ashara and Kali climbed to their feet. Kali didn't know what they were supposed to do or say. Sylaise seemed to be as sweet and calm as ever, but this new woman scared her. She glared at Kali and Ashara as if she wished nothing more than to send them away or, possibly worse, kill them.

"We are sorry if we offended you," Ashara began slowly, "but we needed answers."

Sylaise frowned quizzically. "Have I not given you what you needed?"

"But, we can't just leave our people!" Kali suddenly burst out. All three women turned to stare at her; Kali felt her skin grow cold at the wild woman's glare of anger, but the words continued to just tumble out. "We have people that need us! We're helping the _Elvhen _to find their place again! How can we just leave all of that?"

She wrung her hands together, tossed Ashara a pleading look, and saw the mage straighten up. Ashara might be as nervous as Kali—maybe even more, given that she knew what the Creators were capable of—but Kali knew that she wouldn't just keep quiet and let Kali fend for herself.

She was right. Although Ashara's hands pulled at her belt, betraying her anxiety, her voice was as steady as ever. "My _ashalan _speaks the truth. We have devoted our lives to helping the _Elvhen_. In our country, the _shemlen _cannot treat them like servants anymore, and the _Elvhenan _have been granted land of their own again." She hesitated. "We want to do as you have asked, Sylaise, but you are asking us to abandon our people, your own children. Surely you can see why we question this?"

The wild woman continued to watch Ashara and Kali silently, although she was no longer glaring. Instead, she looked almost like she was studying them, as if they were a strange painting she wished to understand.

Sylaise, on the other hand, looked almost pleased. "Do you see now, Sister?" she remarked smugly.

The frightening Creator grudgingly inclined her head. "Perhaps, but that does not mean that I agree." Her dark green eyes narrowed in annoyance. "The _Elvhen _no longer remember their history; even the _Elvhenan _have forgotten what their mother wished for. I do not see how this changes anything. I doubt that these two even know who I am." She said the words as a challenge.

Of course, Ashara had to rise to it. Even in this situation, when they were helpless to defend themselves, Kali knew that Ashara would never let someone taunt her. She could be afraid and anxious, but she would always show a courageous face and never back down. It was one of her greatest traits, and also the most troublesome.

"I would have to say that you are Andruil, Goddess of the Hunt," Ashara said.

The goddess turned her head slightly. "And why would you say that?"

Ashara lifted her chin, looking powerful and defiant, but Kali knew her too well. She could see the doubt in Ashara's eyes. "We now know what Sylaise looks like, and Ghilan'nain is the First Halla; I assume that she looks like our sacred animal. I have been told that the Great Mother, Mythal, is a reflection of her sacred moon. You, however, look like a proud hunter."

Reluctantly, the woman's face relaxed, and she let out a tut that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. "Very well, clever mage. I am indeed Andruil, she who taught you the _Vir Tanadahl_. But, can you recite them?" Ashara opened her mouth to speak, but Andruil held up a hand. "Not you, clever mage. Your _ashalan_."

She turned to Kali, who felt her stomach drop at the attention. "Me?"

Andruil gave a smile that should have been comforting, had her eyes not been glinting dangerously. "Yes. You are part of the _Elvhenan_ now, and you are a hunter. Though you wear my sister's mark, you are my daughter."

Kali swallowed nervously, not sure what Andruil wanted with this test. But, Ashara had taught her all of this. "Um, well, the first is _Vir Assan_, fly straight and never waver. The second is _Vir Bor'assan_, bend but never break. And the third is _Vir Adahlen_, together we are stronger than the one."

Sylaise looked as satisfied as a cat with a bowl of milk. "They were chosen for a reason, Sister; you should learn to have faith." Something about her tone reminded Kali of her cousin, Soris, on the few occasions when he managed to best Shianni. It was the triumphant ring of a sister who knew that she was right, and that her siblings were wrong. But, Kali must have been mistaken. There was no way the Creators would behave like squabbling siblings, right? They were gods!

"We have little time before he notices us," Andruil retorted, apparently ignoring Sylaise's comment. "Say what you wish to say, and send them on their way."

Sylaise turned to Ashara and Kali. "Your loyalty to our children is something to be admired, _da'len_, yet you must not let this stop you from the task laid before you."

"But, we still don't understand," Ashara protested, with a hint of desperation in her voice. "What am I supposed to find in _Arlathan_? What is Kali supposed to do with the Sabrae Clan?"

"One would almost begin to think you had no desire to protect your daughter," Andruil growled at Ashara. "The _Elvhenan _can protect her better than you."

Sylaise let out a gasp of shock and, as Kali watched, Ashara's face drained of all its color, making her look like a waxen doll. "What about my daughter?" she whispered. "What about Anyu?"

"Sister!" Sylaise chastised.

Andruil raised an eyebrow regally, looking haughty and bored. "I grow weary of this talk. And _you_ must twist and twist things around so as not to catch his notice. If you insist on causing trouble, you had better make sure they perform their tasks."

Sylaise frowned in irritation and swept out an arm. Kali saw a flicker of light in the corner of her eyes, and knew that it meant the Goddess was sending them away from the Beyond.

At that moment, Ashara sprang to life and tried to rush forward. Kali immediately grabbed her arms and held her back, unsure of whether or not she was going to attack the Creators, or just demand answers. Either way, Kali was afraid of what would happen if Ashara caused Sylaise to make a mistake when sending them back.

"No!" Ashara shouted. "Tell me what you mean! Is Anyu in danger?" She fought desperately against Kali's grip, but Kali held on tightly. She didn't want Ashara to get herself hurt.

Either way, it didn't matter. Sylaise only looked at them with sympathy. Kali instinctively knew that they wouldn't get any more answers. "You must go now," Sylaise said. "But I warn you to take care; it would not be wise for you to return to this place a third time."

There was nothing anyone could do. Ashara and Kali were powerless to stop Sylaise from sending them back to Vigil's Keep but, as the forest was swept away and they were sent back to their world, Kali was sure that she could hear someone laughing.

oOo

The chantry in Amaranthine proved to be slightly more complicated than Tamlen or Zevran had first expected. Not much, of course, since both men were highly skilled in the arts of stealth and silence, but it required a bit more finesse than simply walking in and stealing papers.

When they started the short journey from Vigil's Keep to Amaranthine—dressed as servants to avoid notice—they had spent the entire time laughing about how they would sneak in, and joking about all of the things they would steal. Who could blame them if, during a search for information to protect the two women they most cared for, they happened to notice some shiny bauble or gold thread lying about and take it with them? After all, it was the Chantry's fault they were sneaking in to begin with; why shouldn't Tamlen and Zevran take some sort of payment for their hard work? They even jested about taking Mother Cecilia's formal robes, and laughed until they were in tears over the thought of her expression when she found out.

For both men, the Chantry had become a source of great annoyance, and it was quite a treat to imagine all the ways to get back at them. Tamlen, perhaps, held a bit more animosity than Zevran, what with his Dalish history, but even the assassin, who had been so devout in his own way, had started to consider the Chantry to be a bur in his hide.

No matter how much time had passed since the assault on Amaranthine, it seemed as though the Chantry would never forgive the Wardens for abandoning the city in favor of saving the Keep. It was true that many people had died in the city, and that the original chantry had been demolished, but the Wardens had been quick to rebuild everything they could, spending huge amounts of coin to do so. Even the Crown had offered up money to aid them in their task.

Some of the people still grumbled about it and, even now, six years later, Tamlen still heard complaining. They said that the _Elvhen _couldn't be bothered to help a human city; that saving their own kind would always come first. Although, despite those few who accused the Wardens of saving their own skin over others, it did seem as though most people had moved on from that unfortunate moment, especially since Ashara and Kali always made a point to ensure that the people had everything they needed. Fereldan winters could be harsh, but the Commander and her Second were always there to make sure that the people had enough food and shelter.

Ashara knew, as no one but the Dalish could know, what it took to survive a harsh winter with only scavenged food and almost no shelter. She knew how to ration food, and how to find warmth even in the snow. And, she knew which herbs to eat when food was scarce, for there had been many times when the Dalish had gone hungry.

Kali knew, as one who had once lived in the meanest of buildings in the poorest areas of the city, how to stretch what little she had. She understood money in a way these _shemlen _never would, having learned from her father how to care for a large family while earning almost no income.

Together, the two women had employed their various skills to help out the people of the city. When they had been rebuilding the homes that had been lost, Ashara had showed them which wood to use for sturdy walls. She had taught them how a cluster of trees planted near a home could cool the ground in summer, and trap heat in winter. Kali earned their love from her warmth; she took the time to walk around the farms, learn their names and ask about their families. With her knowledge of making a little money go a long way, she was able to find and bring in skilled tradespeople, whether they be tailors, healers, or blacksmiths, who charged a fair price for their fine crafts.

The common people were happy that their two Arlessas—for Ashara had insisted that she and Kali were equals—took the time to visit them. From what Tamlen had seen, it seemed that most of the people were glad to see their Arlessas take an interest in their lives.

With their different knowledge and various skills, and with the help of the Wardens, Ashara and Kali had been able to rebuild Amaranthine into a city greater than it had been. Thanks to the skills of the dwarves at Vigil's Keep, the battlement of Amaranthine now gleamed with a smooth, sturdy stone what would never crumble, no matter what type of attack they faced. The houses were made of strong wood that was snug and tight in winter, and the merchants were well supplied and wealthy. It was a good city, a city to rival even Denerim, and most of the people were content.

Except for the Chantry, that was.

The Chantry had never seemed to recover from the loss of their first great building, especially since Ashara and Kali had spent more time and effort with the common people, rather than ensuring that the new building was as glorious as the old one. They had made sure to hire builders to complete the new chantry quick enough, but Ashara's orders were to build it in a simple way. When Mother Cecilia questioned Ashara as to why the chantry was not being rebuilt as had it had originally been, Ashara's response had been that a smaller building made room for trees to keep the chantry snug in winter.

Acknowledging the good sense of that, Mother Cecilia had decided to push further and asked the Wardens to pay a tithe to the Chantry, as all the Arls and Arlessas did. But, that had been something Ashara had refused to do. She and Kali would never refuse to allow others to worship the Maker—they were firm that each person should have their own beliefs, whether right or wrong—but they would not pay the Chantry, especially since that money was better spent on the Wardens or the city. Their refusal had led the Chantry to question what god they worshiped, and now they believed that Ashara and Kali—and by extension Tamlen and Zevran—were heathens who were trying to corrupt the city into worshiping pagan Dalish gods.

Of course, it didn't help matters that, together, Ashara and Kali had conscripted a total of five mages during their six years at Vigil's Keep. At one point, there had actually been six mages at the Keep, all of them living without any sort of Chantry supervision! Well, technically seven, if one counted Velanna. But, Tamlen never did, seeing as how Ashara had cast her out of the Wardens after Velanna had thrown a fit over the Architect's death. That woman had been an explosion waiting to happen; picking fights with everyone, demanding her own way, and always accusing Ashara and Tamlen of turning their backs on their people to join the _shemlen_. Tamlen expected that she was dead by now, and didn't count it as a loss.

But, as far as the Chantry was concerned, Ashara and Kali had a habit of bringing in too many mages, and they didn't like it. The five mages that had been conscripted, with the exception of Anders, had all been taken from the Circle Tower. Greagoir had allowed it, easily enough, but the Chantry had complained that the Wardens were taking too many mages from their Tower. What could happen if all those mages lived without supervision? How much damage could they cause?

Based on their complaints and behavior, Tamlen could easily believe that the Seekers were using the Chantry in Amaranthine to keep an eye on the Wardens. He suspected that they had been waiting for an excuse for a while now.

"So, what do you think, my friend?" Zevran asked, distracting Tamlen from his thoughts. The two of them stood in the shadows of a cluster of trees, looking at the chantry standing a few feet in front of them. "The building is not heavily guarded, although we _can_ expect a few templars to be about."

Tamlen shielded his eyes and looked up at the vibrant sky, alight with rich colors of orange, red, and blue. "The sun is setting; I suppose we could wait until it gets dark and sneak through without them noticing. Do you know of a good way in?" Tamlen knew almost nothing about the layout of the chantry, having refused to set foot inside.

The assassin pointed. "There is a small door at the back; one that leads into the kitchens."

"The kitchens?" Tamlen asked, momentarily distracted. "Is this a place of worship or a house?"

Zevran chuckled. "It is both. The Revered Mother, the sisters, brothers, and templars all live here together. They do not have a home of their own. I suppose some have families they occasionally visit, but for the most part they stay within those walls."

"Oh, I didn't know that. I never paid much attention when Ashara and Kali had this place rebuilt."

"Six years of living in a society of Andrastrians, and yet you know as much now as when you had been away from your Clan for only a few weeks."

Tamlen let out a snort of amusement. "I'll have you know that I pride myself on that, thank you very much."

"Well then, my ignorant friend, you should know that we can always expect at least one or two members of the Chantry to be up and about at night. I believe that some like to say a midnight prayer to Andraste, and I assume that a templar or two will be guarding the halls."

"All right then, we'll have to make sure they don't spot us." He thought about the situation for a moment. "Do you know where we should look? I mean, I'm assuming that we're looking for letters from one of the Seekers, or something that talks about the Wardens. But, would the Revered Mother keep them in an office?"

Zevran studied the building thoughtfully, as if thinking about his answer. "I would have to assume that she would keep them under lock and key in her room. I highly doubt that, if she was instructed to watch us, she would have told everyone at the chantry."

"I don't understand. Why wouldn't she tell the sisters and brothers, or at least the templars? She would have an easier time knowing our movements if she had extra eyes on us."

"Not all of the Chantry wishes to cause problems with us, my friend. The Chantry does not consist solely of bitter old women who hate the _Elvhen _and think we are trying to turn people away from the Maker. There are quite a few members who are fine people, who wish only to do good in the name of Andraste. There are many who understand that we are doing what we can for others. Some of them have no trouble with a Dalish Warden-Commander and Second."

Zevran made a good point, although it was hard for Tamlen to think of the Chantry as anything other than evil and cruel. He had lived in the _shemlen _world for almost seven years, yet even now he still hesitated whenever a stranger approached him. He had been raised with his own people, the Dalish, who would have had homes of their own long ago and would never have lost so much of their heritage, if not for the Chantry leading an Exalted March against the Dales, slaughtering any elf they found. He had been trained as a hunter; his task had been to provide food for his kin and protect them from the wicked _shemlen_. And always, _always_, he had been taught that the Chantry would wipe the _Elvhenan _off the face of Thedas if they could.

Rationally, he had learned that not all _shemlen _were evil creatures simply waiting for the chance to kill his family. Those who lived at the Keep were good people, and the men and women who had fought beside the Grey Wardens during the Blight were brave and strong. Even Leliana, who had been so sure of the Chantry, so devoted to the Maker, was a good and honorable woman. So, Tamlen had long ago learned that his own people were just as prejudiced against _shemlen _as the humans were against the _Elvhen_, but he still couldn't escape his own natural hatred for the Chantry.

"All right, let's stay hidden until the sun fully sets," Tamlen said.

The two men waited until it grew dark, never moving from their spot in the shadows. At first, they toyed around with the idea of waiting in the tavern, but eventually decided against it. If they did find some incriminating papers and took them, it would be better if no one had seen them. Tamlen and Zevran, as with most of the members of Vigil's Keep, were well known in Amaranthine. It would be better if no one knew they had even left the Keep. If the Chantry ever discovered that they had crept into a Revered Mother's room, it would escalate the tensions between them and the Wardens. It could be disastrous.

They climbed into the trees and stayed hidden amongst the branches and shadows, watching as the sun finished setting and the city slowly succumbed to sleep. Then, and only then, did they move from their hiding place, slip down the street, and into the back of the chantry.

oOo

Ashara and Kali stood in the courtyard of Vigil's Keep, waiting for Tamlen and Zevran to return from Amaranthine. It was a tense, cold silence. Ashara dismissed anyone who came to speak with her and when Anyu had come, wondering what her mother was doing, Ashara had put on a fake smile. She'd knelt down and told her she was just waiting for Tamlen to come home, then suggested that Anyu go get something to eat. Kali bit her lip at the sight of Ashara fighting to smile, and tried to hold back the urge to pitch to her knees and pull the little girl into a tight hug. Both she and Ashara were terrified for Anyu's safety, but frightening the poor girl wouldn't accomplish anything.

By the time Tamlen and Zevran returned from Amaranthine, it was almost morning. The two men stopped short when they saw the women waiting anxiously for them, but Ashara didn't say anything. Instead, she gestured that they follow her and Kali, and led them into the Keep, up the stairs, and into her room.

As soon as the door was shut behind them and the four of them were alone, Ashara twisted around and said, without preamble, "We're going to have to leave."

The two men looked at her in surprise, then turned to glance over at Kali, who had moved to the side of the room and sat perched on the couch, her feet on the cushions, her hands twitching anxiously. She saw their concern and nodded. "I think... I think Asha might be right."

Tamlen moved swiftly to Ashara's side, as if he would snatch her to him. "_Vulpasha_, tell me what's wrong. You look like you've seen a ghost. Did something happen in the Beyond?"

Ashara leaned back, her eyes full of fear and concern; Kali knew it was for Anyu. "We met Andruil, Tamlen."

Kali watched as Tamlen's eyes widened. Ashara had told her that Andruil was his special goddess, much like Sylaise was for her. Tamlen wore Andruil's symbol tattooed on his forehead, and each time he picked up his weapon he sent her a silent prayer to aid him in his task.

"Andruil?" he asked incredulously. "You actually... met her?"

Zevran silently walked over to Kali and bent his head. "Is this the truth?"

Kali nodded, staring at her knees in a mixture of confusion and fear. "Yes... I was right there. I couldn't believe it, either. But she was right in front of us. And she was so... frightening. She had a deep, powerful voice, and she looked like... she could kill you before you had any time to react."

"She said something that made me think Anyu is in danger," Ashara said quietly; Kali could hear her throat tightening. "She said that the _Elvhenan _can protect her better than we can."

Tamlen let out a sharp hiss of anger and folded Ashara in his arms. "Don't worry, _vu__lpasha_. Nothing will hurt Anyu; I swear it."

"What, exactly, did she say about Anyu?" Zevran asked Kali quietly, worry in his posture. The two of them were practically second parents to Anyu; they had as much hand in raising her as Ashara and Tamlen did, and loved her as their own.

Kali's hands tightened on the back of the couch. "When we asked Sylaise for answers, Andruil said that it almost sounded like we didn't want to protect Anyu. Then she said that the _Elvhenan _can protect her better than we can. But, she didn't even say what we have to protect her from."

Ashara twisted out of Tamlen's grip, her normally violet eyes almost black, as hard as chips of coal. "It doesn't matter _what_ we're protecting her from. We'll have to do what Sylaise said, and leave Vigil's Keep."

"But, Sylaise told you to go to _Arlathan_," Kali pointed out. "Are there Dalish there, because I got the feeling that Anyu is supposed to go to the Sabrae Clan in Kirkwall. How are you supposed to do what Sylaise told you to do and still keep in mind what Andruil said?"

Ashara turned a hard, determined face to Kali. "You're going to have to take her."

"What?"

The Warden-Commander of Ferelden, known for her proud demeanor and powerful spells, twisted her hair around her fingers anxiously, as if she wished to rip it out. "We can't take any chances, not with Anyu."

Tamlen hesitated. "Are you sure this is right? To send Anyu off without us?"

Ashara was twisting her hair so badly that Tamlen had to catch hold of her hands, to keep her steady. "We can't," she said. "If this is so important, we have to do what Sylaise told us to do. But, I can't take Anyu with me; not if it means she's in danger." She took in a deep breath. "Although, that's not to say that _you _can't go with Kali and Zevran to Kirkwall. I can make the journey to _Arlathan _on my own."

Tamlen instantly shook his head. "Never. You're not traveling through Thedas by yourself. If Anyu has to be taken to our Clan, I trust Kali and Zevran to keep her safe."

Kali bit her lip anxiously. Part of her was wondering if maybe they were overreacting. She knew that all of them—Ashara especially—had a tendency to be a bit too protective of Anyu. Even though they lived in Vigil's Keep, a safe place where guards frequently prowled the halls and everyone who lived there knew how to fight, Ashara still insisted that Anyu's windows were locked at night, and that everyone at the Keep watch her. No matter where Anyu went, she was almost always with someone, or someone discreetly kept an eye on her. Kali even knew that sometimes, at night, Ashara would suddenly become anxious over Anyu's safety and go peek into her room, checking to make sure her daughter was still sleeping.

So, Kali was well aware of the fact that sometimes they had a tendency to get too worried about Anyu but, in this instance, she wasn't sure if they should take any risks. She, herself, had felt the power behind Andruil and Sylaise, and a Creator like Andruil surely wouldn't have let something important—like Anyu's safety—slip out accidentally. And Sylaise had suddenly sent them back when Andruil mentioned Anyu; didn't that prove that Andruil had told them something they weren't supposed to know? But, why would Sylaise, who seemed so sweet and caring, have kept that from them?

"Did you find anything in the chantry?" Ashara suddenly asked.

Tamlen jumped slightly. "Oh! I forgot about that." Kali didn't really blame him. After all this worry over Anyu, she had forgotten about Leliana's letter as well. "I'm not sure, actually," he continued. "Zevran, you still have the letter?"

Zevran reached into one of the many pockets hidden in his leather armor, and pulled out a piece of parchment. "We found nothing from the Seekers; nothing that shows the Chantry has asked Mother Cecilia to keep an eye on us. But, we did find this."

Kali looked over his shoulder at the letter, but she couldn't make out anything it said. There was a lot of writing, but it was all a jumble of letters mixed together; it made no sense at all.

Zevran saw her confusion and nodded. "It is in code, and I have not yet had the chance to study it." He pointed to a small symbol mixed within the writing; a symbol that looked like a straight line with swirls twisted around it. "Do you see this mark here? I have seen it before. The Crows deciphered a letter from one of the Antivan merchants, who had sought to expel some of the Dalish who had stolen some of his wares. To my understanding, this is a symbol that represents the Dalish Clans."

Kali inhaled sharply. "That means the _Elvhenan_?"

The assassin nodded and handed the letter to Ashara, who looked it over intently. "What the code says, I do not yet know. But, it was not folded when we found it in Mother Cecilia's desk, so we can assume that it was written by her hand, and that she was planning to send it to someone."

Tamlen crossed his arms and leaned against the desk, frowning. "We searched through all of her cabinets and drawers, but we didn't find anything that has the translation to the code. Either Mother Cecilia has it hidden somewhere else, or she has the code memorized."

Ashara's brows furrowed together as she thought it over. "If this _does _refer to the Dalish, it could either mean the Clans in the Brecilian Forest, or it could mean the four of us." She raised her head and looked at the three of them. "Everyone knows that Kali was welcomed as a member of the Dalish, and that Zevran's mother was of the _Elvhenan_."

Tamlen nodded. "That's what we thought. If the Chantry is watching the three Clans in the Brecilian Forest, Zevran says that the Chantry here in Amaranthine probably wouldn't know about it. How could they watch the Clans from here? So, we're thinking that the letter refers to us. From the Chantry's point of view, all four of us are Dalish."

"So, does this prove Leliana's letter, then?" Kali asked. "Do you think you should meet with her in _Halamshiral_?"

"Yes, I think we should," Ashara said slowly. Her head suddenly came up. "What if the danger Andruil warned about was from the Chantry?"

"But, what would they want with our daughter?" Tamlen asked.

Ashara bit her thumbnail. "I don't know; Leliana said the Seekers were asking questions about the Blight, but Anyu has nothing to do with that. What I _do _know is that we can't take any chances, not with our child." She turned to Kali. "You and Zevran are going to have to take her to Kirkwall, where she can be protected, while Tamlen and I meet with Leliana and then go to _Arlathan _Forest."

Kali suddenly felt cold, like everything was moving so fast she couldn't catch up. She wanted to keep Anyu safe, but abandoning everything was a huge step. "Are we... sure that this is real?" She hesitated. "I don't want Anyu to be hurt; I'd protect her with my life, but what if it turns out that we're abandoning everything here for nothing? Asha, you said that demons can take the form of anything in the Beyond; what if those were demons messing with us?"

"Kali," Ashara said quietly, "you know how a demon feels; you've met them before. Did you feel that Sylaise and Andruil were demons?"

"I don't... well, no," she admitted. "I felt like they were powerful beings that I couldn't understand. I felt like... well, I can't really explain it."

"Then, how can we ignore what they said?"

Kali was about to argue the simple reality of the situation. Gods didn't just talk to people like that! They didn't just set out tasks and warn people! If they did—if they were capable of speaking to someone so easily—why did they stay silent? And why choose the two of them? What made Ashara and Kali so important that the Creators would speak with _them_, when they hadn't talked to anyone else in thousands of years?

But, then she hesitated, as her mind turned to all of the other things they had done over the years. She thought of meeting Flemeth, a powerful maleficar from ancient history. She thought about fighting talking darkspawn, and finding the Anvil of the Void, an ancient artifact supposedly lost to history. She thought of discovering the Urn of Sacred Ashes, a relic that was supposed to have stayed hidden for centuries, and surviving the destruction of the Archdemon, a task that was supposed to have killed her. Then, she thought about Morrigan's child, a child that defied all logic and housed the soul of an Old God.

After all of that, after all of the other things that they had done—things that were considered to be miracles—why did this situation seem so strange?

She was staring at her knees and felt someone take hold of her hands and grasp them tightly. She lifted her head to see Ashara looking at her with sympathy. "I know this isn't easy, _ashalan_."

"I want to do anything I can to protect Anyu," she whispered. "It's just that I don't want to leave everything. Not again." Zevran put an arm around her shoulder and Tamlen came to stand beside Ashara. Kali was surrounded by her sister, her lover, and her best friend, three of the most important people in her life. She took in a deep breath, drawing courage from their support. The four of them had stood together through everything, and they would stand together through this as well.

"But, if it means that Anyu is safe, then it doesn't matter how I feel," she continued, knowing in her heart that she would give up anything to keep Anyu safe. She loved that little girl as if she was her own.

Ashara nodded. Kali noticed the tension in her eyes, and realized that although Ashara was standing firm, inside she was just as worried as Kali was. Zevran's grip on Kali's shoulders tightened; she knew him well enough to know that he was telling her he would be by her side every step of the way.

She let out a slow breath. "When do we leave?"

"As soon as we can," Ashara said.

Kali bit her bottom lip and nodded. It felt like before, when Duncan had taken her away from her home, and she hadn't even gotten a chance to say good-bye to anyone. Perhaps it was just the memory of that time that was causing Kali's stomach to clench up in fear. Maybe her worry didn't really mean anything at all.

* * *

_**Translations:**  
vallaslin - literally means blood writing; the tattoos the Dalish get to mark their entrance to adulthood. Each tattoo represents a different Creator  
da'len - child/children  
ashalan - sister  
Vir Tanadahl - the Way of the Three Trees; Andruil taught it to the elves as the 'way of the hunter'  
Vir Assan - the Way of the Arrow; fly straight and do not waver  
Vir Bor'assan - the Way of the Bow; bend but never break  
Vir Adahlen - the Way of the Forest; together we are stronger than the one  
_

_**A/N:** If you're wondering why that first scene isn't in italics (when all of my other Fade scenes are) it's because the section was a lot longer than I originally intended, and I didn't want to give anyone headaches with a massive wall of italics.  
_

_A big thank you to everyone reading, reviewing, and requesting alerts. It makes me so happy!  
_

_Special hugs and thank yous to Suilven for her awesome beta work, and for patiently going through this chapter fixing my mistakes, and offering up suggestions for parts that didn't make a whole lot of sense. It especially means a lot because of all the hard work she's been doing with NaNoWriMo. Thank you so much sweetie!_


	5. Chapter 5

**IV. Lonely Day**

They stole away like thieves in the night, desperate to get away before the sun rose and revealed their actions. They told no one where they were going or what they were doing. As soon as the sun set and the members of Vigil's Keep went to their beds, they began the preparations for abandoning their friends.

Tamlen and Zevran packed only a few of their belongings—some extra clothes, spare weapons, and a few potions—taking care to leave behind anything that tied them to the Wardens, while Gavan crept into the kitchens to steal some food for the journey. Ashara and Kali wrote a note naming Nathaniel as the new Warden-Commander, and Gwen as his Second. At the bottom of the note, both women signed their names without any sort of title. They left no instructions, no reason for their disappearance; nothing at all to give their friends and allies any sort of closure for their actions.

Though she tried to keep her head down and quietly get everything together so they could leave, Kali hated every second of it.

She felt like some sort of criminal, stealing away from her friends like a coward. She did know that it was the right thing to do; there were too many questions that needed to be answered—the Creators had told them to leave, Leliana was warning them about something, and they couldn't take the chance that the Chantry might be spying on them—but, still, the weight of guilt was like a heavy hand wrapped around her throat, choking her with the knowledge that she was deserting everyone she cared about.

She tried not to think of her family: of Father, Shianni, or Soris; they would be so worried about her, and Kali tried to turn the thought from her mind. But, when she gently woke Anyu up and helped her get dressed, promising the little girl that they had a fun journey to go on, it was hard not to think of Soris' two children, who were only a little younger than Ashara's daughter.

Anyu was, however, much more excited than any of the adults. She was positively elated at the thought of taking a secret journey with them; her little girl imagination spun wildly with all sorts of adventures they might have. While Kali packed some of her clothes together, Anyu sat on her large bed, swinging her feet back and forth while she chattered on and on about all the places they might go to. Kali forced a smile, unable to bring herself to tell the little girl that her parents weren't able to go with them.

Once everything was ready, the six elves slipped out of Vigil's Keep, sneaking past the sentries as if they were miscreants who didn't belong rather than respected members of the Wardens. Kali felt awkward in her common traveling clothes, much different from the comforting weight of the armor she was used to, but they couldn't afford to carry anything that might attract attention or identify them as Wardens. Besides, she wasn't the only one; they were all wearing different clothing. Ashara and Tamlen had brought out their Dalish clothes, which were better suited for walking long distances than the robes and armor they usually wore, and Zevran was dressed in a plain tunic and leather pants. Anyu, who was being carried on Tamlen's back, wore only a simple tunic with a belt and dark leggings, and they were all wearing cloaks with hoods to hide their well-known faces. To anyone who saw them, they would look like poor elves traveling from one city to the next.

It only took them about a week and a half to travel to Gwaren, pushing themselves at such a hard pace that, when night came and they set up a small camp, Kali fell into a deep, exhausted sleep, careless of the hard ground pressed against her head and back. They had to reach Gwaren as quickly as possible; the Wardens would have discovered that they had left as soon as morning had come and, that same day, they would have most likely sent a message to Kira and Alistair.

With every day that went by, Kali half expected to see soldiers chasing after them; as the days wore on, she began to feel like a criminal, in truth. But, although the journey took a while, Gwaren represented their best chance of remaining undetected. If Kali and Zevran had taken a ship from Denerim or Amaranthine, someone there would have recognized them and reported where they were going.

The worst was when they had to travel through the Brecilian Passage. Although the two Dalish Clans lived much farther north, Kali knew that they still kept watch over the whole forest, and she was paranoid that they would somehow know where they were. She felt like she was doing something wrong; even though they hadn't broken any laws, she started to worry that she'd be thrown in prison, or suffer some other horrible consequence for her actions.

In any event, despite her fears, they managed to reach Gwaren without trouble in the early morning, with the stars still twinkling against the faintest hint of color in the sky. As they reached the docks, they realized that they were in luck; a merchant ship named _Maudelyn of Hercinia _was preparing to set sail. Ashara raised an eyebrow at Kali as if to say that this wasn't just a coincidence, but that something or someone must be helping them with their journey. Gavan took some of the coin Ashara had taken from the Keep's Treasury and, after a short discussion with the captain, managed to beg passage for Kali, Zevran, and Anyu.

He came back, handing the purse to Ashara. "The captain says they'll start loading soon; they'd better hurry."

Ashara slipped the purse around her belt. "And, it's traveling to Kirkwall?"

Gavan nodded. "It's a merchant ship, out of Hercinia. Captain says they need to make a few stops along the coast of the Free Marches before it sails home." He turned to Kali and Zevran. "First stop is Kirkwall. You'll be below deck with the others who begged passage. Merchants are happy enough to take the coin of travelers; they miss the days of the Blight, when every man and his family tried to buy passage from Ferelden."

Ashara knelt down in front of Anyu and adjusted the hood over her head—the girl's perfectly white hair stood out like stars against a black sky and would have attracted notice—trying to smile. "Now, _da'vhenan_, do you remember what we talked about?" She took hold of Anyu's hands, and Kali could hear her voice tighten. "You be a good girl, all right? Do everything your Aunt Kali and Uncle Zevran say."

Anyu's lower lip trembled as she stared at her mother. Kali swallowed anxiously, knowing that the little girl was frightened. Her first excitement over their journey had quickly faded when she had been told that Ashara and Tamlen wouldn't be going with them. Instead of being thrilled at the prospect of an adventure, now she was confused and afraid. Even though all of the adults had put smiles on their faces and tried to be cheerful, Kali knew that Anyu was aware of the fact that something was wrong. The girl might only be six years old, but she had a swift mind, and understood more than most gave her credit for.

"But, _Mamae_," Anyu protested with the barest hint of a quaver in her voice, "what's wrong? Why did we have to leave our home? How come you and _Havhen_ aren't coming with us?"

Tamlen knelt down and put a hand on Anyu's cheek. "_Mamae _and I need to meet with someone, and it's too dangerous to take you with us."

"But I _want _to go with you!"

"Don't you want to go visit our Clan?" Ashara asked temptingly, as if promising her a special treat. "You'll get to meet Keeper Marethari, and all of the _Elvhenan _that _Havhen _and I grew up with. The Keeper will teach you special Dalish magic, and you'll get to be around your own people. And Kali and Zevran will be there with you. It'll be fun, I promise."

Anyu looked between her parents. Kali could see by her wide-eyed, fearful look and stuck out bottom lip that she was torn between the desire to believe them, and the inner voice that told her something was wrong. "But, you'll come, too, won't you?" the little girl finally asked. "After you see this person?"

"Of course we will," Tamlen lied. "After we've met with her, we'll come travel to find you. It might take a while because it's a long journey, but we'll always come find you."

Anyu nodded, her young face still uncertain, but she was of an age where she never doubted her parents' words. Ashara and Tamlen pulled her into a tight hug, then straightened up. Tamlen and Zevran stepped off to talk quietly to each other while Ashara, still holding Anyu's hand, reached out and pulled Kali into an embrace.

Kali felt the heavy weight of her best friend's fear and mumbled quietly, so that Anyu wouldn't hear, "I'll take care of her. I promise."

After that, everything seemed to happen so quickly. Ashara and Tamlen each gave a kiss to Anyu before melting off with Gavan into the shadows. In the blink of an eye, they were gone.

Kali shook her head and slowly became aware of her surroundings. The docks were crowded as the ship was being loaded with goods and passengers; she hadn't noticed how busy it was, and picked Anyu up so that she wouldn't get lost.

Zevran saw Anyu's fearful look and lightly tapped her on the nose. "So, _da'mi_, are you ready to start our own journey?"

Anyu peered at him doubtfully, as if she suspected that he was hiding something from her. "I wish _Mamae _and _Havhen_ could come with us," she said quietly.

"Ah, but they have their own tasks to perform, and when they are done they will meet us. In the meantime, we will have our own adventures, yes? We will do many things, and you will have plenty of stories to tell your parents when you see them again!"

Anyu slowly started to brighten, warming to Zevran's easy charm as everyone else did. She leaned back in Kali's arms to smile at him, her dark blue eyes wide. "Have you met _Mamae's _Clan before?"

Zevran winked at her. "Your Aunt Kali and I both have! And, you remember, Kali here is a member of the Clan, too."

"Will they like me?"

Kali couldn't help but smile at the shy question. "Of course they will, sweetie," she said confidently. "Don't forget, Keeper Marethari asked for you to be her First. She's wanted you to visit the Clans for years. I'm sure there's going to be a big celebration, and everyone will want to meet you!"

Anyu, never one to sulk or worry for too long, grew excited once more at the prospect of meeting her parents' Clan. She wrapped her arms around Kali's neck and nestled her face into her shoulder, her cheerful self returning.

Zevran, tossing a pleasant wink to Kali as if to commend a job well done, put his hand on the small of her back and guided her over to the row of people waiting to be let aboard the ship. For the first time since speaking to Sylaise, Kali began to feel a lot more relaxed. She still felt horrible about leaving everything behind, but the thought of traveling to Kirkwall _was _kind of exciting. She'd always wanted to travel, and hadn't yet gotten the chance to do so.

True, this wasn't exactly the way she had thought she would travel, but she guessed that it was better than nothing. Nathaniel was a good man, and Gwen was remarkably intelligent and a very strong mage; the Wardens would be fine under their command. Besides, it wasn't like this was forever. At some point, they should be able to return home or, at the very least, Kali would be able to send a letter to her family.

Plus, she hoped that Father and Shianni would understand that the Grey Wardens sometimes had to do things that were secret. Hopefully, they would guess that Kali went to do some secret Warden business, and wouldn't be mad at her. Then, they could relax when she found a way to contact them.

Feeling much more cheerful about everything, Kali followed the other passengers on to the ship and down to the area below deck where they were to stay for the journey. Right now, she had to focus on keeping Anyu safe. But, with a skilled assassin, an entire Clan of Dalish hunters, and a powerful Dalish mage at her side, she thought that keeping her promise to Ashara—that she wouldn't let anything happen to Anyu—was one she could fulfill.

oOo

Tamlen glanced at Ashara as they walked through the Brecilian Passage, and saw her head was turned so that she was staring back towards Gwaren. Gently, he reached out and squeezed her hand comfortingly. "We'll get her back, _vulpasha_. I promise."

Ashara nodded and turned away from the city, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders as if to block out a chill even though the forest air was warm. But, no matter how tight she wrapped the wool cloak around her body, she was still cold on the inside. This was the first time since the Blight that she had been parted from her daughter; she felt like she could curl up into a ball and weep for days. Even knowing that it was for Anyu's own safety didn't make her feel any better.

Gavan looked back at the two of them, noting their grim expressions with the practiced eye of a man who was used to reading moods. "There seems to be more going on than just the warning in Leliana's letter," he said calmly, not at all daunted by his gloomy companions. "Or, do you know something that you haven't let on?"

"Trying to ferret out information?" Tamlen asked stiffly.

"Of course," Gavan chuckled. "Information is the only true currency."

Ashara turned her thoughts away from her anxiety, finally caught the thread of their conversation and smirked. "Is that how you make your living, by trading information? I always thought you were a bard like Leliana."

Gavan let out a genuine laugh at that. "Oh, no! I'm more of a soldier of fortune. I don't work for any one person; my loyalty and knives go to the man or woman with the most coin."

"So, you're a mercenary, then?" Tamlen asked.

"I prefer soldier of fortune, but I suppose mercenary works, too." He shrugged. "Let's not dwell on what I am. We have a long journey and lots of ground to cover, and I'd like to be well out of the Brecilian Passage within the next few days. The sooner we reach Orlais, the easier it will be."

Ashara nodded; he was right. Now that it was just the three of them, they could travel at a much faster pace. They had managed to slip out of Gwaren without attracting much notice, but trying to stay hidden would still be difficult until they could leave Ferelden and cross the border into Orlais, where there was a far less chance of someone recognizing them.

She felt weird walking without a staff—she had carried one almost since she was old enough to hold it—but it had been decided that she shouldn't call attention to being a mage. If they encountered any templars on their journey, especially when they reached the heavily faithful country of Orlais, the Chantry members would surely want to know why an elven mage was walking around freely. She didn't have a Clan to protect her rights as a member of the Dalish and, if she called attention to her status as Warden-Commander of Ferelden, it would lead to even more problems.

Right now, though, her main concern was leaving the Brecilian Passage. She felt drained, as she was using some of her magic to keep the three of them protected from the prying eyes of the Dalish. The _Elvhenan_ lived in the northern reaches of the Forest, but they would still know what was going on in the southern areas. There were two Clans living together, led by Keeper Rhys and Keeper Soora, both powerful mages who kept sharp eyes on the whole Forest. The humans had managed to live near the Dalish in relative peace these past years, but that didn't mean that the Keepers didn't still keep watch to make sure their people were safe.

Ashara didn't want any of the Dalish to know that she and Tamlen were in the Brecilian Forest. If they found out, they would want to send some hunters to welcome them to the Clan, which would lead to Ashara trying to think of an excuse to refuse without giving revealing their reasons for leaving the Wardens. It was easier to keep hidden.

"Gavan, do you know what path we should take to avoid notice?" Tamlen asked, shifting his pack to his other shoulder. "I know every path and route here in the Brecilian Forest, but I don't know much about the rest of the country."

The mercenary took a drink from his water skin and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "The two of you are well-known in this country; there's a good chance that if we encounter a large town or village, someone there will recognize you. My plan is to reach the Imperial Highway near Ostagar, skirt by Redcliffe without attracting notice, and travel along the west side of Lake Calenhad. We can follow the Highway up through Gherlen's Pass and into Orlais."

Ashara frowned. "Are you sure that's a good idea? The Imperial Highway is a common path to travel, and we're famous in Redcliffe. Most of the villagers there remember when they were under attack from the undead. What are the chances that we'll be able to keep someone from recognizing us?"

Gavan shrugged. "We'll just have to take the chance and hope that if we restock only in small, remote villages, no one will know who you are. If we travel through the Bannorn it'll only be worse, and the Frostback Mountains are too dangerous." He adjusted his hood. "Of course, we'll have to be alert no matter which path we take. If the Wardens sent a message to your king and queen, I assume that they're going to want to search for you. We're ahead of them only by a matter of days."

"That's true," Tamlen said. "Alistair and Kira probably already know that we've disappeared. I assume they'll try to contact the Dalish first, thinking that we might have told the Keepers where we were going." He turned to Ashara. "Do you think Kira will contact the Empress and ask her to look for us? They're cousins, aren't they?"

Ashara pursed her lips, trying to think. "I doubt it. Kali and I both signed our names to the note naming Nathaniel as the new Commander, and if they search our rooms they'll see that we packed some of our things. That shows that we left intentionally; hopefully they'll take the hint and leave us be."

"Still, I'll feel better when we reach Orlais," Tamlen said.

Ashara swallowed her discomfort and followed the two men down the narrow paths of the forest, trying not to think of Kira and Alistair, who were her good friends; friends that she was walking away from without any word or notice. They would feel betrayed and hurt. She kept trying to remind herself that this was the right thing to do; Sylaise and Andruil had warned them to leave for Anyu's safety, and they had to meet with Leliana to discover what the Seekers wanted. Ashara knew that they didn't have any other option; they had to keep their tasks secret, for their own safety and, more importantly, for Anyu's.

But, there was still something about this that felt like they were turning their tails and running away in shame. And, no matter how hard she tried to remind herself that the Creators themselves had instructed her to take this path, she couldn't seem to rid herself of the bitter taste of betrayal.

oOo

"What do you mean they're gone?" an incredulous Alistair demanded.

Kira shook her head helplessly, unable to hide her own shock. "I... I do not know. I only received Nathaniel's letter an hour ago. He says that Ashara and Kali, as well as Tamlen, Zevran, and even Anyu, have all disappeared. The Wardens simply woke up one morning to discover that all five were gone." She scanned the letter again. "All they found was a note from Ashara and Kali, naming Nathaniel as the new Warden-Commander and Guinevere as his Second."

Alistair's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "So, where did they go?"

Kira was at a loss, a rare feeling for her. She had no answers to give; she was as confused as the Wardens, who had no explanation for why their Commander and Second had disappeared. "I do not know, Alistair. As soon as I received Nathaniel's letter, I sent a messenger rushing to the Dalish Clans in the Brecilian Forest. Perhaps they will know where Ashara and the others are."

Thank the Maker she had thought to send everyone from the room before she gave him the explosive news. There was no one to see their king pacing about like a caged animal, his velvet cloak swirling around him in agitation; there was no one to run to the court with the gossip of Ashara and Kali leaving. For the Warden-Commander and her Second to just disappear was disastrous; the people, especially those in Amaranthine, would want to know what had happened. It would be difficult enough for the Wardens to keep this a secret; they would have to sit on this information as best they could until they had an answer.

"Why would they just up and leave without any warning?" Alistair asked himself. "Are they on some Warden business? No... if that was the case, they wouldn't have named a new Commander and Second, and they wouldn't have taken Anyu. It has to be something serious for them to keep quiet about this."

Kira bit her bottom lip anxiously. "I have always thought it likely that Ashara and Tamlen might one day decide to leave the Wardens—they are too Dalish to ever truly be comfortable living with humans—but I cannot imagine why Kali and Zevran would have left as well." She looked down at the letter in her hands, as if the writing might give her some answers. "If they took Anyu, we can expect that they do not plan to return anytime soon."

Alistair stopped pacing to look at her solemnly. "Does Nathaniel think they were forced?"

"There were no signs of any struggle. The Keep is one of the most heavily guarded buildings in Ferelden; what could harm them there? And, Nathaniel says that some of their belongings were taken." She took in a deep breath. "However, I cannot say for certain whether or not they were forced, as most of their things were left behind, including Ashara's staff and all of their Warden armor."

"Ashara left her staff behind, and they all left anything that could identify them as Wardens?"

Kira knew where he was leading with this and inclined her head slowly. "Yes. It sounds to me as though they do not wish for anyone to recognize them. I think we can assume that they do not wish to be found."

"But, what about the Wardens?" Alistair questioned, resuming his irritated pacing. "What happens if the people discover that the Warden-Commander and her Second have just disappeared?"

"It could lead to quite a number of problems," Kira admitted. "Ashara and Kali are the Heroes of Ferelden; if the people discover that they ran off one night, it could lead them to question the Wardens. We both know how angry the Chantry is with the Wardens; you know how often they ask us to curb the Wardens' conscripting rights, fearing the mages that are allowed freedom in the Keep."

Alistair thought about her words. "So, if the Chantry discovers that Ashara and Kali have abandoned their Wardens, do you think they might try to take this as an opportunity to turn the people against the Wardens?"

"I do not know. I believe they might attempt to take this chance, but I do not think it will avail them much. Nathaniel is a very capable and diplomatic man. I am confident that he will do all that he can to avoid open war with the Chantry. And, Guinevere is a mage; she knows how the Chantry is. However, there are other problems than just the Chantry. You know that there are many people who speculate that the Wardens—namely Ashara and Kali, who are elves—have some sort of secret agenda, since they were forced to let Amaranthine burn. This speculation might increase if it is known that two popular elven Wardens just disappeared without a word of notice."

Kira turned from Alistair and walked over to the window, leaning her hot forehead against the cool glass. She had been raised under the elegant manners of Orlais; she should be able to keep her face a mask of neutrality to hide her thoughts. But, the thought that Ashara and Kali ran off without talking to her hurt. They were her friends. The two of them, along with Alistair, where the only people Kira could drop her guard around. With them she could be herself, rather than the sweet and quiet Queen of Ferelden. Did they not trust her?

"What are you two doing?" she asked quietly. "You had to know what kind of trouble you would leave behind. Without you, we have no one who can cross between the humans and the Dalish. What is so important that you would risk the suffering of your people, having spent these past years doing everything you could for them?"

Alistair came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, staring out the window with her. "What should we do?"

Kira turned to him, forcing herself to think as a clever monarch and not a betrayed friend. "First, we must meet with Nathaniel and Guinevere. I believe that you and I should take a small party to Vigil's Keep, before we begin our progress. Perhaps we can convince Nathaniel to tell the people of Amaranthine that Ashara and Kali are on Grey Warden business in the Deep Roads." She pinched the bridge of her nose, where a headache was beginning to form behind her eyes. "After we hear from the Dalish, we will next decide what to do. If the Dalish do not know where they are, we will have to send some men to find them."

Alistair looked doubtful. "Are you sure we should search for them? What if we're right and they don't want to be found?"

"They are our friends, Alistair, and we do know enough to know that they must have a grave reason for their actions. They would not have abandoned the Wardens lightly; we cannot just let them leave without ensuring that they are safe. If they are in trouble and need our help, we will find a way to provide it."

oOo

Morrigan peered down into the clear pool of rippling water, her hands on either side of the wooden bowl in her lap. Gently, she shifted the bowl so that the water swirled around in front of her. But, no matter how much magic she poured into the water, it availed her nothing; she couldn't seem to find a clear image.

With a tut of irritation, she tried swirling the liquid some more, which did little to help her. On the clear surface of the rolling water she could see the faint image of Ashara, a dark cloak wrapped around her head and shoulders, walking confidently with two men. Morrigan frowned down at the water; she assumed that one of the men was Tamlen, but could not make out who the other man was. Perhaps Ashara was using some sort of spell to shield them from prying eyes. Morrigan's scrying spell was an ancient and powerful one, but Ashara was a strong mage. No doubt, if she was so inclined, she could cast a spell that would keep others from sensing her presence. Though not strong enough to completely obscure her from Morrigan's eyes, it _could _be strong enough to prevent her from gathering a clear image.

Well, it mattered not. What _did _matter was that it seemed as though Ashara was on the correct path. Morrigan could not see a little girl with the trio, which most likely meant that Ashara had sent her daughter away with Kali, who was also missing. That was good. If Ashara was on the correct path—and Morrigan had no choice but to trust that she was—then she could not afford to take her daughter. Arlathan Forest was too dangerous for a young girl.

She heard rustling and a scuffling of feet, and quickly cut off the flow of her magic, setting the bowl aside and standing up in time to see a young boy dart out into the small clearing of the forest. He ran towards her, his energetic feet pounding on the ground and a bright smile on his face. Morrigan glanced behind him to see the elven mage struggling to keep up, fighting to keep hold of the large basket of laundry, all the while laughing about the foliage stuck to her hair.

"Mother!" the boy shouted cheerfully. "We finished the washing, and I tried that fire spell you taught me! Felice said I did a fine job!"

Morrigan looked down at the boy with an eyebrow raised. " 'Tis a wonder you have not frightened all life away from this forest," she scolded lightly, "what with your habit of crashing through the trees like a blood-thirsty Chasind. How do you plan to learn the art of shifting your form if you chase away every living creature?"

At once the boy dropped his head. "I am sorry, Mother."

Morrigan put a gentle hand on his black hair, and turned her attention to the elven mage. "Felice, gather our belongings. It is time for us to move on; we will leave at first light."

"We're leaving?" the woman asked. "Where are we going?"

"You shall see when we arrive," Morrigan replied coolly. She took the young boy by the hand. "Karan, come with me; I have something I should like to discuss with you."

Ignoring Felice's shocked and disappointed look, she turned and led Karan deeper into the forest. The mage had known exactly what she was signing up for when she had first agreed to help Morrigan deliver her son and take care of their needs. Morrigan had never hidden the fact that they might be forced to travel from place to place, and that they would be hiding from the Chantry. Indeed, that was why she had wanted an apostate mage to begin with. She had wanted a woman who would be tied to her; if Felice informed the Chantry about Morrigan and her son, she would be betraying herself as well.

In exchange for her help, Morrigan had promised to teach Felice some of Flemeth's ancient spells. Of course, she had only taught the mage a minute amount of magic; enough for Felice to feel as though she was learning something powerful, but not enough to actually give her any sort of _true _power.

Besides, she cared not if Felice was angry about leaving; she no longer needed the mage's help. Karan was almost six; old enough to look after his own needs, and old enough for Morrigan to begin his training in earnest. Felice could not be privy to that. Soon enough, Morrigan and Karan would leave her behind, and the elven mage could then do what she liked.

"Are you going to teach me, now?" Karan asked curiously, as the two of them walked deeper into the forest, far enough so that Felice's sensitive ears could not hear them. Karan knew that he had a purpose in life, and that one day Morrigan would explain his task and teach him the powerful magic he would need to learn. He often pestered her about it, swearing that he was old enough to learn everything.

"Not this night, I am afraid." When they reached a suitable spot, Morrigan turned to the boy. "We must move to a different location, one that is a better place for me to watch, and one that is suitable for your training."

Karan looked up at her in excitement. "Where are we going, Mother? Will I get to see a city?"

"One day you shall," Morrigan promised. She slipped a hand into her pocket and brought out a gold ring on a small chain. "Since it is time for us to move, 'tis also time for you to wear this. It will allow me to know where you are at all times."

The ring was too big for his finger, so she had fashioned it onto a necklace. She slipped the necklace over his head. Karan inspected the gold ring, which was the same color as his dark eyes. "Is this enchanted with some of your special magic, Mother?"

"You could say that. For now, you must swear you will wear it at all times. Never take it off."

He looked up at her solemnly. Karan was an extremely intelligent child; he must have realized how serious she was. "I swear it."

"Good. Then let us prepare to leave."

* * *

_**Translations:**  
da'vhenan - little heart  
Mamae - mother  
Havhen - father  
da'mi - little blade  
_

_**A/N:** Sorry for being kind of MIA these past few weeks. During the holidays I kind of took a break from everything, and then I got a nasty head cold last week. But, the holidays are over (I hope everyone had a great time!) and I'm feeling much better. I've gotten behind in reading, reviewing, and replying to everyone; if I missed you, I apologize for it. I had gotten backed up on so much that I'm trying to start with a clean slate.  
_

_Lots of thanks to Suilven for her ridiculously awesome beta help! And thank you to everyone reading, reviewing, or requesting alerts!_


	6. Chapter 6

**V. Search but Never Find**

Kirkwall was such a different place from anything Kali had ever seen before! She had thought that Denerim was a huge, bustling city, but even that paled in comparison to the high, daunting walls of this new city, and the rush of people that scurried back and forth through the docks. Although, Kali thought as she looked around at the buildings, just because Kirkwall was much bigger than Denerim didn't mean it was more impressive. Denerim was a warm, friendly city; a city where people were always ready with a cheerful greeting, children ran through the streets playing games, and merchants tried to entice people to come view their wares.

By contrast, Kirkwall seemed... tense. No one laughed or gossiped like they did in Denerim; the people seemed to be constantly shouting out orders or yelling at each other. If anything, the docks made Kali think of a rowdy inn where a brawl could break out at any moment. She clutched tighter to Anyu, almost afraid that if she set the girl down for more than a second, she'd end up getting lost in the mad shuffle around the docks.

While Kali was staring around at the tall buildings, gawking like some country girl coming to a city for the first time in her life, someone bumped into her with a harsh thud, almost knocking both her and Anyu to the ground. "Hey! Watch it, knife-ear!" a man shouted. But, before she could get a good look at him, he was already gone, disappearing into the crowd of people rushing around.

Kali straightened up, shifting Anyu on her hip and checking to make sure the girl was okay. She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry; it had been years since she had been called a knife-ear. In Ferelden, that word had almost become non-existent. Most people had tried their best to put aside the racial problems that divided humans and elves. Sure, there were a few people who still clung to their hate but, for the most part, people had become quite accepting of one another. As for Kali herself, well, she was a famous Warden; no one had called _her_ a knife-ear since before the Blight.

"Aunt Kali, why did that man call you a knife-ear?"

It was a very uncomfortable moment, to see Anyu's innocent blue eyes staring at her so curiously. Ashara and Tamlen had always done their best to shield Anyu from the problems elves and humans faced together. They had wanted their daughter to grow up without the pressure of racial barriers; they had wanted her to accept humans, elves, and dwarves equally without any sense of hate. As such, she had no idea of the work it had taken to help humans and elves understand one another.

But, Kali guessed that if she lied about the term now, it was only going to make things worse. They weren't in Ferelden anymore; Anyu was going to learn about it sooner or later. "Well, some humans call elves knife-ears because they don't really like us. It's... not a nice thing to call someone."

"Why don't they like us?"

Kali shifted, unsure of what to say. "I guess... it's because they think that elves aren't as good as they are."

"Well that's stupid," Anyu said firmly, with all the surety of a young girl.

Kali couldn't help but smile. "I agree. But, don't worry, most humans don't hate us. It's just mean, stupid people who do."

Anyu nodded and looked around the docks curiously. Unconsciously, she nestled herself closer to Kali's side, apparently feeling nervous at being in such a strange area. "Um, are we going to eat soon? I'm hungry."

"Let's wait until Zevran comes back, okay?"

"Okay."

Kali shifted Anyu to her other hip—for such a small girl, she weighed a ton—and took them over to the side of a large building, carefully placing herself so that the two of them could stay out of the way but still see anyone approaching them. One of the things she had learned from Zevran was how to find a spot to keep a careful eye on everyone around while seemingly ignoring everything.

Once they were well placed, Kali checked to make sure that Anyu's hood was pulled up over her white hair, but the little girl instantly tried to push it back down. "I want to _see_, Aunt Kali!"

Kali rolled her eyes. "You can see just fine with your hood up."

Realizing that Kali wasn't going to give in to her dramatics, Anyu frowned. "But, it's hot here and I want it down. Why do I have to keep it pulled up?"

Kali could see Anyu's lower lip stick out, a telltale sign that she was about to pout to try and get her way, and was unable to keep a straight face. "You know how your mother is always bragging about how pretty and bright your hair is?"

Anyu lifted her chin with the pleased smile of a well praised child. "Yes!"

"Well, we don't want people to see it right now." She settled the hood over Anyu's head. "It's so bright that it'll draw lots of attention, and we don't want a bunch of rough sailors noticing us." Anyu's white hair had a habit of catching and reflecting the sun like light shimmering on water; there would be no way for them to remain unnoticed.

"Oh." Anyu thought for a moment. "But, when we see the Dalish I can take it off, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then." She looked around the docks, her nose crinkling up in disgust. "The Dalish don't live _here_, do they?"

"No, I think they live north of Kirkwall. That's why Zevran told us to wait here for a few minutes; he's trying to find out exactly where they are."

"Good," Anyu said flatly. "I don't think I want to stay here. It's too loud."

Kali grinned. "I agree."

In the end, they didn't have to wait too long. After about half an hour, Zevran came back with their packs slung over his shoulder—he had insisted on carrying them since Kali was carrying Anyu—and a small bag in his hand.

Anyu immediately perked up when she saw him. "There you are, Uncle Zev! Did you find out where the Dalish are?" Her lower lip stuck out. "Because I want to leave this place! The people are very mean, and one of them even called Aunt Kali a knife-ear!" She said the last part in a scandalized whisper.

Zevran looked as though he wanted to laugh at Anyu's shocked expression, but instead he turned to Kali with a scowl. "We have not been in Kirkwall a full hour and already you are called a knife-ear?"

Kali shrugged as best she could, which proved to be difficult with a six-year-old resting against her shoulder. "It doesn't matter; it was just weird, that's all. I haven't heard that term in years." She shifted the topic to a more important matter. "Did you find out where the Dalish are camped?"

Zevran nodded. "I have. Strangely, it seems as though they have set up their camp quite close to Kirkwall. The people in the city are well aware of their presence."

Kali frowned at his words. "That doesn't sound right. Why would the Dalish camp so close to such a large city? I thought they tried to stay in places where it was difficult for humans to find them."

"As did I," Zevran said. "But, the people seem quite certain." He held up the small bag. "I bought some food for our journey; if we leave now, it should only take us a few hours to reach the Dalish camp. I'd rather we left as soon as possible."

"Is something wrong?" Kali asked, alerted by the serious tone of his voice. "I thought we were going to rest for a night and search for the Dalish in the morning?"

"I'm tired," Anyu volunteered.

Zevran lightly tapped Anyu on the nose. "I know, _da'mi_, and I am sorry for it, but we must leave as soon as we can." He glanced at Kali. "It seems that the Qunari are still here."

"They are?" Kali was surprised. Even in Ferelden, they had heard about the Qunari ship that had crashed on the coast of Kirkwall, and how they had been given a place to stay while they built a new ship. But, that had been about three years ago. Alistair and Kira had been a bit apprehensive when they had heard the news; Ferelden still bore the scars of the Orlesian invasion and was always cautious of others trying to invade. To hear Kira explain it, the Qunari could take over almost any country they wanted and, for a time, Ferelden had been alert, wondering if the Qunari were planning to first take over Kirkwall and, from there, the rest of Thedas.

They hadn't heard anything about the Qunari for quite some time and, like most people, Kali had assumed that they had moved on. "Why haven't they left yet?" She lowered her voice. "Are they planning to take over Kirkwall?"

"Alas, I did not think to ask them," Zevran said with a wry smile, though it soon faded. "But, the locals seem to think so. Tensions are high between the people and the Qunari, and I'd prefer to get away from the city as soon as we can." He stepped forward and put his lips against Kali's ear, whispering so that Anyu couldn't hear, "And, from what I have gathered, it seems that the rumors about Kirkwall's treatment of mages are true."

Kali nodded. She had known that plenty of mages had tried to escape the Kirkwall Circle, preferring instead to flee to Ferelden, where the attitude toward magic was much more lenient—especially with a mage in charge of the Wardens—but she hadn't really thought it would be an issue. However, if Zevran, after only a short time gathering information in the city, had been able to confirm that the rumors were true, it was best to leave. The last thing they needed was for some templar to discover Anyu's magic.

So, even though they were tired from the long ship ride from Gwaren to Kirkwall, the three of them set out for the Vinmark Mountains. With Anyu happily nibbling on the bread Zevran had bought, they managed to slip through the streets of Kirkwall undetected. Kali was extremely grateful that Zevran had such a good sense of direction; without him, she would have gotten lost after the first turn. Although, in her defense, these streets were extremely confusing. Between the alleys that looked the same and the people crowded everywhere—making it hard to see where they were going—Kali couldn't understand how _anyone _found their way around this complicated city.

Once they managed to actually get through the city, however, it was much more difficult to find their way. There were a few different paths that led around the mountain, but to Kali's eyes they all looked the same. More than once, they ended up walking down a path they felt certain would take them where they needed to go, only to find that they had taken a wrong turn and somehow wound up on a coast, near a cave, or—at one horrible point—a clearing covered with so many bones that Kali almost feared they had walked right into the abyss.

"What kind of place _is _this?" she asked, trying to shield Anyu's eyes so that the little girl wouldn't see all of the skulls littered around the area.

"I would prefer not to find out," Zevran said, his face darkening as he looked around. "Kirkwall was once known for its slave trade; perhaps we are seeing remnants of how they rid themselves of the ones who failed to meet their standards."

"What is it?" Anyu asked, trying to wiggle her face out of Kali's hands.

"Nothing," Kali said. She looked at Zevran. "I'm getting more and more curious as to why the Dalish would want to camp anywhere _near _here. You'd think they wouldn't want to stay by a city that has such a history."

Zevran shrugged. "I am beyond attempting to understand the Dalish."

They left the area and, after a few more hours of walking—during which time Kali felt like her arms were going to fall off from Anyu's pleas to be picked up and carried—they finally found a path that neither of them recognized. After a few minutes of walking down it, Kali heard a sharp whistling sound pierce through the air. Zevran pulled out his daggers and Kali dove to the ground, using her body as a shield for Anyu, just before an arrow stabbed a fallen trunk behind them.

"I think we have finally found them," Zevran said with a laugh. "It is good to know that their tempers are still as sweet as ever."

Kali climbed up to her knees, but Anyu grabbed her shirt with a frightened look. "What was that? Are they trying to hurt us?"

Kali smiled down at the little girl. She stood up and lifted Anyu back into her arms, trying to make her feel secure. "The Dalish are very protective of their camp, sweetie. That was only to warn us that they were here, but they're not going to attack us. I promise."

Right on cue, two Dalish elves stepped out from the shadows of the rocks, holding bows and arrows pointed directly at them. Kali could see that they were both men, but with their hoods pushed up over their heads she wasn't able to recognize either of them.

"_Las sahlin'ma_?" one of the men asked sharply. "_Dirth ar'en las'ma nuvenin ar'en din'ma_!"

Kali could understand quite a lot of the Dalish language, thanks to Ashara's teachings, but he was speaking too fast for her to make out the words. She handed Anyu over to Zevran and took a step forward, holding her hands up in a gesture of friendship. "_Ar falon. _My name is Kali Tabris." She pushed her cloak off her left shoulder so that the two men could clearly see the _vallaslin_ to Sylaise tattooed on her skin. "I was accepted into your Clan six years ago, after the Blight." She gestured to Zevran and Anyu. "This is Zevran Arainai, a friend of your Clan, and Anyu, the daughter of Ashara and Tamlen."

"Kali?" the second man repeated. He lowered his bow and pushed back his hood; Kali recognized Fenarel, Tamlen's fellow hunter. He turned and made a gesture with his hand. "Luan, lower your bow. Kali is our sister." The other complied, and Fenarel turned back to Kali. "_Ar abelas, lethallan_. The Clan has been on edge since Merrill left. We have _shemlen _stumbling into our Clan at all hours of the day, searching for secret Dalish crafts. It's gotten so bad that Chief Tasar thought it best to have some of the hunters keeping watch to warn them away."

"Why are you camping so close to such a large city then?" Kali asked. "You wouldn't have humans finding your Clan if you moved."

"You'll have to ask the Keeper," Luan said in a sour tone, "since she's the one who refuses to let us move. We've stayed in this spot for five years; it's time for us to find another place. But, she keeps insisting that she has business here although she won't tell us what it is."

"Not _now_, Luan," Fenarel reprimanded.

But, Luan gave no sign that he had heard Fenarel. "If the Keeper wanted to stay in oneplace for years, there's a perfectly good spot in the Brecilian Forest where two other Clans live in peace! That land was granted to the Dalish because of what Ashara and Tamlen—two of _our _Clan—did for the _shemlen_. I don't understand why we couldn't stay in Ferelden."

Fenarel groaned in exasperation but didn't seem inclined to say anything more. Kali and Zevran exchanged a glance; by the look on Fenarel's face, it would seem that Luan's complaints were a common topic.

The awkward tension was broken by Anyu, who was peering at the two Dalish inquisitively, her earlier fear forgotten. "Uncle Zev, can I get down now?"

The assassin chuckled. "Of course."

He set the little girl down; as soon as her feet touched the ground she instantly pushed back her hood and studied Fenarel and Luan with a bright, curious gaze, though she reached up to grasp tightly to Kali's hand.

Fenarel got down on one knee, smiling kindly at the little girl. "So, you're Tamlen's daughter?" Anyu nodded shyly. "The last time I saw you, you were just a baby. Your _Havhen _and I are brothers; did he tell you that?"

Anyu shook her head. "He told me that everyone in the Clan are his brothers and sisters."

Fenarel laughed. "Well, yes, that's true. But, he lived with my family when we were _da'len_. I know lots of embarrassing stories about him; I'll have to tell you some of them." He tossed Anyu a wink and stood up, turning his attention to Kali and Zevran. "The Keeper will want to see you. Come on, our camp isn't that far from here."

He was right; the Dalish camp was only about a mile away from where they had been, and Kali was extremely grateful for it. She was far more tired than she wanted to admit and, by the time they finally reached the Clan, she was starting to daydream of a hot meal and a comfortable bed.

As they entered the camp, however, and she looked around, her dreams of a nice place to sleep were driven from her mind. The last time she had seen Ashara's Clan, they had been camped in a snug area of the Brecilian Forest, with plenty of trees and brush for cover. The forest had been so thick that a human could have walked within feet of the camp without ever knowing it was there.

This time, however, their _aravels_ were set up in a small open spot nestled between two hills. It was a little clearing that offered almost no cover or protection at all. Kali could sense how anxious the Dalish were to be in such a place, and she didn't blame them. No wonder they had humans stumbling into their camp! _Anyone_ could find them here.

Keeper Marethari, as was her usual habit, was seated before the fire in the center of the camp. She turned as they approached and stood up with a serene smile on her face, as if she wasn't in the least bit surprised to see Kali and Zevran.

Luan drifted off towards the rest of the hunters as soon as they entered the camp, but Fenarel led them right up to Marethari's fire. "Keeper, Kali and Zevran have come to visit the Clan with Ashara and Tamlen's daughter, Anyu." Kali noticed that his words seemed a bit stiff and formal. She guessed that despite what he had said to Luan, Fenarel was having problems with Marethari as well.

"_Ma serannas_, Fenarel," Marethari said in her usual calm manner. "You may inform Chief Tasar."

"_Ma nuvenin_, Keeper," Fenarel said. With a polite nod to Kali and Zevran, he walked off after Luan.

Marethari watched him leave before turning her kind gaze to Kali, Zevran, and Anyu. "It is good to see you. I have been waiting for your arrival."

"Who told you we were coming?" Kali asked. Then, a thought hit her. "If you knew to expect us, why didn't you tell Fenarel and the others to look out for us?"

"I heard it on the wind," the Keeper replied vaguely. "But, I did not know when you would arrive." She smiled down at Anyu, who continued to clutch tightly onto Kali's hand. "I am pleased to meet you, _da'len_. You have the look of your grandfather, but I can see your parents in you as well." Anyu took a step closer to Kali, seemingly unsure of how to respond, and Marethari turned her attention back to Kali and Zevran. "For now, though, I am sure that you are all tired from your journey. You may use Merrill's _aravel_ for the duration of your visit. Do either of you know how long that might be?"

Kali and Zevran exchanged a look. "No, we don't," Kali admitted carefully. "We weren't told how long we'd have to stay here, just that we needed to come." She wasn't quite sure how much she wanted to tell Marethari about Sylaise visiting her and Ashara. What if the Creators didn't want anyone else to know?

"Well, for now," Zevran interrupted cheerfully, "let us get something to eat and rest for a bit." He knelt down next to Anyu and lightly tapped her on the nose, though Kali knew he was just putting on an act. She could read his moods and knew when something was bothering him, but she also knew that he would never admit it in front of Anyu or the other Dalish. She'd have to wait until they were alone to ask him. "That stale bread was probably not enough to make you full, no?" he continued.

"No, it wasn't," Anyu said.

"There is plenty of food for you," Marethari said calmly. "I am sure the Clan is eager to see their sister again, and to meet their new daughter. We shall speak more this evening." She turned back to the fire, clearly indicating that their meeting was over.

Kali was more than a little surprised by Marethari's words; this wasn't the warm, familiar Keeper she remembered. The last time they had met, Marethari had been kind and open. But, now... although her words and tone were as friendly as ever, Kali couldn't help but think she seemed a little detached.

Well, there was nothing for her to do about it now. Besides, Anyu was probably starving and Kali was longing for a hot meal herself. She saw Fenarel with a group of hunters by one of the fires, waving for her and Zevran to come join them, and grinned down at Anyu. "Come on, sweetie," she said, taking care to keep her voice cheerful. "Let's go meet everyone and get something to eat."

Maybe, after a nice meal and a restful sleep, she could talk some more with the Keeper and figure out why she seemed so different. Something about Marethari seemed wrong, but for the life of her she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

oOo

Ashara would have thought that, since she had grown up with the nomadic Dalish Clans, she would have had an easy time hiking such a long distance. She had expected to be able to walk all day without much of a problem. But, it had been roughly six years since she had walked so much for such a long time and it seemed she had lost some of her endurance.

It was evening, and she, Tamlen, and Gavan had decided to set up camp for the night and catch some rest. Ashara sat down near the fire, pulled off one of her boots, and started rubbing at the sore spot on her heel, wincing as the pressure made it hurt worse. Perhaps she should just heal the spot to make it stop aching; otherwise, she was going to have an even worse time in the morning. However, one of the things she had noticed was how easily she and Tamlen had slipped back into the normal habits of the Dalish, falling into the comfortable rhythm of their previous life as easily as if they had never given it up.

Clan law dictated that _Elvhenan_ mages were forbidden from using magic on everyday things such as the normal aches and pains that came from their difficult life. Mages were supposed to preserve their energy in case the Clan came under attack, or someone got seriously hurt. It was the rule of the Dalish that mages only used their magic when training, teaching, or helping in some important task. Like most mages, Ashara had gotten in trouble as a child for using her magic when she hadn't been supposed to, but it was almost something of a comfort for her to slip into the familiar rules of her people.

Tamlen looked up from his pile of willow sticks—sticks he was fashioning into arrows—and saw her rubbing her feet. "Having trouble, _vulpasha_?" he asked with a hint of laughter in his voice. "Has living with the _shemlen_ made you soft?"

Ashara narrowed her eyes. "In case you had forgotten, _some _of us had duties to the Grey Wardens that kept us busy all day. We couldn't _all_ afford to run off on hunting trips for days at a time."

Tamlen laughed at that, and Ashara was unable to keep the feigned angry look on her face. When they had lived in Vigil's Keep, Tamlen and Zevran had had a habit of disappearing for a couple days every few months to go hunting, occasionally taking some of the Wardens—usually Carver and Keiran—with them. They'd usually return with triumphant smiles and their packs full of birds; though, at one point they had brought back a dead cow that Ashara suspected they had stolen from one of the Amaranthine farmers. There was no real reason for them to do it—Vigil's Keep certainly didn't have a problem keeping food on the table—but Gwen had often joked that the men needed their male bonding time.

Thinking of Vigil's Keep, the cheerful smile slipped from Ashara's face. She let out a sigh and set her elbows on her knees, resting her chin in her palms. "I wonder how they're doing. Do you think they're worried about us?"

Tamlen, never one to dance around a subject, nodded solemnly. "I'm sure they are."

Ashara let out a sound somewhere between an irritated tut and a chuckle. "You think that maybe you could lie and tell me that everything is okay? That the Wardens are fine; that they trust us and decided to carry on with their duties without trying to search for us?"

"Except you'd know it wasn't true," Tamlen pointed out, never taking his eyes off the willow stick in his hands. "If the Wardens were willing to give up so easily on their previous Commander and Second, then they wouldn't be the men and women you trained them to be."

"That's the thing about loyalty," Gavan suddenly said from his spot by the fire. "It's usually an admirable thing, but in some rare cases it can be extremely problematic." He nodded his head and looked around, as if he had made some wise observation that Ashara and Tamlen should appreciate.

Ashara rolled her eyes. "How much ale have you had?" Gavan had returned to the fire barely an hour ago with his arms full of jugs of ale and tankards for each of them. She and Tamlen hadn't bothered to ask where he'd got it; it seemed that, with Gavan, it was easier to just assume he stole it.

"Enough to make me cheerful; not enough to make me stupid," he replied easily.

Tamlen picked up one of his newly peeled willow sticks and held it up straight in front of him, closing one eye to ensure that it was perfectly straight, before setting it in a new pile. He went through his whole pile, checking each one to make sure it was straight, occasionally adjusting one if he thought it bent a little, then grabbed his crafting knife and began fashioning nooks in each wand.

"Well," he said after a few minutes of silence, "I suppose now's as good a time as any to ask what you know about the Seekers, Gavan. You said before that you didn't know anything but, as I'm sure you'll understand, no one believes you."

Gavan took another drink of his ale, suddenly looking grim. "That may be true, but I'm not so drunk that I'm willing to give away information for nothing."

Ashara leaned forward, scowling. "Now's not the time to be holding out for money, Gavan. You know why we need this information. We abandoned our Wardens and are willing to walk into Orlais—a country that has a lot of hate for our people, I might add—based on a confusing note from a friend we haven't seen in almost seven years. We need to know what we might be facing."

Gavan was quiet for a moment, and then let out a resigned sigh. "Eh, I guess you're right. Leliana trusts you both, so I see no reason why I shouldn't say anything."

He took another drink. "How much have you heard about the Seekers?"

"Not much," Ashara admitted. "I know that they work for the Chantry, and Kira mentioned that they sometimes do the dirty work for the templars." She glanced over at Tamlen. "When you first mentioned that the Seekers were asking questions about us, we assumed it was because the Chantry is angry with us for conscripting so many mages into the Wardens."

Gavan shook his head. "I doubt the Seekers care about mages joining the Wardens. And even if they did, they'd rely on the templars to handle that kind of thing. No, the Seekers are in charge of keeping the balance of power for the Chantry. They're basically an elite order of templars who work in secret to find and neutralize any threat to the Chantry."

"I don't understand, then," Ashara said. "If they only care about threats to the Chantry, why would they worry about us? How could we be considered a threat?"

Tamlen nodded. "We're only a small group of Wardens in Ferelden, and most of the people who live in Vigil's Keep are Andrastrian."

"Well, that's where things start to get a little fuzzy," Gavan said. "The Seekers don't usually care about the Wardens, although it's well known that, on the whole, the Chantry resents the fact that the Grey Wardens are outside their jurisdiction."

He frowned. "Of course, _that _leads to even more questions. If the Seekers ever _did _decide to challenge the Wardens for some reason, why would they bother with you? It's common knowledge that you don't answer to the Wardens of Weisshaupt, so if challenging the Wardens is their goal, it seems more likely that they'd try to establish peace with you. Instead, it seems as though they're treating you as a possible enemy."

"Then, you have no idea what they want?" Ashara asked.

"Look, all I know is what Leliana said before she sent me to Ferelden with her letter," Gavan said. "And she didn't say much, because she was worried someone was listening. The Seekers are such a secretive group that it's almost impossible to figure out what they're doing. All Leliana would say was that she had been questioned about the Blight."

Ashara frowned, not comprehending. "Why would they care about the Blight? It was ended in less than a year and didn't affect anyone outside of Ferelden."

Gavan shrugged. "Maybe that's what they're concerned about. Even _I _know that every other Blight has lasted at least ten years, yet you and your Wardens managed to kill the Archdemon in less than one."

Tamlen scoffed. "So, you're telling us that they're worried because we saved our country before the Blight could destroy anything?" His voice was heavy with sarcasm.

"I'm only stating one possibility," the mercenary said. "I don't know anything for sure. But, if you know how the Chantry thinks then it isn't hard to believe." He turned to look at Ashara. "You and Kali are the Heroes of Ferelden, the two who are credited with ending the Blight. Kali's the one who actually held the blade that killed the Archdemon. You, Ashara, are a Dalish mage who has never seen the inside of the Tower, and have never been watched by the templars. And, it's common knowledge that Kali was accepted into your Dalish Clan."

He drained the last of his ale before continuing. "Think about it for a moment. Two Dalish elves fought the Blight and managed to end it in less than a year, something no other Warden has ever done. Knowing that the both of you belong to a race of elves that refuses to worship the Maker and has actually fought _against_ the Chantry, is it so strange to think that the Seekers might start to wonder _how_, exactly, you ended the Blight in such a short time?"

Gavan saw the solemn expressions on Ashara and Tamlen, and shrugged. "Keep in mind that I'm only guessing. It just seems, to me, to be the most logical reason for the Seekers to ask questions about you."

"But we didn't do anything!" Ashara protested. "We spent the whole time running around Ferelden begging for allies to help us because Loghain turned the chevaliers away at the border. Even the Orlesian Wardens turned their backs on us after we pleaded for help!"

"Yes, I remember," Gavan said. "You hired me to take the message to Warden-Commander Mikhail."

"Then, why would the Seekers wonder how we ended the Blight?" Tamlen asked. "We were hardly quiet about our task."

"Maybe I'm wrong." Gavan shook his head. "I'm only guessing. Maybe they're asking about something else."

But, as the two men continued on with their speculation, Ashara felt a distinct knot of discomfort settle in the pit of her stomach. She thought that, while it was true that they had gathered an army in a normal fashion and united the country together to fight the Archdemon, Tamlen had left out a very important detail.

A Grey Warden was supposed to die when he or she killed the Archdemon. But, before the final battle, Morrigan had offered a way to keep all of them alive, by becoming pregnant with a child that possessed the soul of Urthemiel. She hadn't given Ashara any details other than that the Chantry would call the ritual blood magic, and that the child would be fathered by Alistair.

Back at Vigil's Keep, before they had decided to leave, they had discussed the possibility of the Chantry uncovering knowledge of the ritual, but they had quickly brushed the idea off, believing that they would have heard something about that. Now, however, Ashara wasn't so sure.

What if the Seekers had discovered some of the Warden secrets? What if they knew that a Warden was supposed to die when they killed an Archdemon? The First Warden had stopped asking questions about it after Ashara had made it clear that she didn't answer to him, but what if he'd taken offense and informed the Seekers? Would the First Warden reveal such important secrets to spite the Fereldan Wardens?

In exchange for the chance to live, Ashara had made a promise to never search for Morrigan, and so far she had kept to that promise. She had asked the Dalish to alert her if Morrigan crossed their paths, but she had never intentionally searched for the witch. No one had heard from Morrigan since she had disappeared after the Archdemon had been killed. Ashara had no idea where she was or what she was doing. All she knew was that Morrigan's child would be only a little younger than Anyu.

What if the Seekers had caught her? Morrigan was a clever woman, able to charm or manipulate her way out of almost any situation, but what if her luck had run out? Ashara bit her thumbnail anxiously. She tried to tell herself that if Morrigan had been captured by the Chantry, she would have heard about it. There was no reason to think that the Seekers had discovered knowledge about the child with the soul of an Archdemon.

She grit her teeth and stared at the fire. She was just worrying over nothing. The warnings from Sylaise and Andruil had put her on edge, and now she was starting to get paranoid.

Everything was going to be fine.

* * *

_**Translations:**  
da'mi - little blade  
Las sahlin'ma? - Who are you?  
Dirth ar'en las'ma nuvenin ar'en din'ma! - Tell us what you want before we kill you!  
Ar falon - I'm a friend  
vallaslin - lit: blood writing; the tattoos the Dalish get to mark their entry into adulthood; each tattoo represents a different Creator  
Ar abelas - I'm sorry  
lethallan - friend/kinsman; used for female  
Havhen - Father  
da'len - child/children  
ma serannas - thank you  
ma nuvenin - as you wish  
_

_**A/N:** Please excuse the minor rant, but the Dalish in DA2 really irritate me. I understand why Marethari keeps the Clan in one place for nearly ten years, although I think it's stupid of her to put the entire Clan's welfare at risk for one person. The DA wiki states that if a Keeper and First die, then the Clan will end up dying out as well; she already lost Merrill, so you'd think she'd want to protect herself to make sure that the Clan feels secure. Obviously, she does the opposite of that. Anyway, that aside, the camp for the Clan has almost zero protection. In Origins, the Dalish are well hidden in the forest, keeping away from human eyes, but in DA2 Paivel mentions that they have humans walking right through their camp like it's nothing. It doesn't make much sense to me.  
_

_Okay, rant aside, I apologize for the delay in update. Life got a little hectic for a while, but hopefully things will stay calm for a time so that I can try to get caught up on this and Blood Song. I also owe some of you reviews; I'm hoping to get caught up by the end of this week. Thank you to everyone reading, reviewing, and sticking with this story! It really means a lot.  
_

_Special thanks and hugs to Suilven, for going over this with her ridiculously awesome beta stick, and for smoothing out some of the rough spots._


	7. Chapter 7

**VI. Minds That Have to Whisper**

As the weeks slowly passed, Kali, Zevran, and even Anyu, gradually came to adjust to life with the Dalish, which was _very_ different from what they were used to in Vigil's Keep.

For starters, life with the Dalish was often comprised of hard work; not that Kali or Zevran had ever been very idle in Vigil's Keep. From morning to night they had been busy: training the Wardens, plotting routes to the Deep Roads, drilling the soldiers, or doing whatever task needed to be done.

Work with the Dalish, however, was much different from what Kali and Zevran were used to. This was a race of people who didn't have a secure home or comfortable beds; people who couldn't go to the market to buy their food, or to a well to get fresh water. They _had _to work hard, or else they wouldn't survive.

From the moment the Clan had welcomed them, Chief Tasar, who was in charge of the hunters, had decided that Zevran would join the hunting. The assassin's stealth and quiet movements were a welcome addition to a group that was responsible for feeding the Clan. Zevran, for his part, seemed to enjoy being a hunter. He claimed that it reminded him of chasing down a mark, albeit without the poison. Sometimes the hunters would be gone for days, and most of the time they were successful in finding food. But, sometimes they came home empty handed, which did nothing to sweeten the tempers of those Dalish who claimed that this place was cursed against them.

Kali was technically considered a hunter as well, but Chief Tasar—who made all the decisions regarding his hunters—had decided that she should stay behind with some of the younger hunters, protecting the Clan in case of mishap, which was fine by her. Kali wouldn't have been very good at hunting; she always felt badly for the animals. Besides, to leave the Clan would mean leaving Anyu and, although the girl was quickly taking to life with the Dalish, Kali wanted to make sure she didn't feel alone.

Most days, Kali left the young hunters—who spent the hours training or catching small birds nearby the camp—and instead helped some of the women of the Clan; she helped carry water from the nearby stream, scoured the hillside for fresh herbs, learned how they cooked, and even took part in their weaving. The Dalish were very skilled with cloth, and Kali loved watching them make blankets so snug that even a winter chill couldn't penetrate them.

There was never a time when she wasn't busy; everyone was _always _busy. Even the children, Anyu among them, who raced through the camp playing rough and tumble, were given tasks to help the Clan. They helped with the washing—where they splashed in the water and got everyone soaked—or gathered sticks for the fire—making a game of who could collect more.

Kali found it a strange life. She had never really thought about how the Dalish lived. She had certainly never realized how hard they worked just to survive. But, although she was exhausted every night, there was a wonderful sense of camaraderie to it all. The Dalish were always willing to help one another, always laughing or singing together. And, they went out of their way to make Kali, Zevran, and Anyu feel welcome.

Once, when Kali had accidentally added a spicy seasoning to the stew she was supposed to be watching, no one complained that she had almost ruined precious food. Instead, Ashalle—Ashara's adopted mother who constantly plied Kali with a thousand questions as to how her daughter was doing—had laughingly showed Kali how to add different spices to temper the flavor. Everyone had teased Kali about it afterward, Zevran included, but it was good-natured teasing.

Kali was beginning to see why Ashara and Tamlen still missed their Clan. Even though Kali worked hard and had to do without the comforts she had gotten used to in Vigil's Keep, she had started to love this tight feeling of kinship. Everyone relied on everyone else. The Dalish depended on each other for survival, which left them with a unity that reminded Kali of living in the Alienage, where most of the elves tried to help and look out for each other.

This morning, Kali was in the halla pen with Maren—a sweet woman with a cheerful smile and lovely voice—helping to brush down the beautiful creatures Kali had fallen in love with. She couldn't get enough of the silver deer and had volunteered to help Maren whenever she requested it.

At first, Maren had been a bit hesitant to accept Kali's help. Maren was the halla caretaker, and the halla weren't known for accepting outsiders; Maren didn't want to spook them. But, they seemed to take to Kali, which made her fall in love even more. She adored feeding them, and giggled whenever their velvet lips brushed against the palm of her hand.

The task of taking care of the halla was a very important one, Maren had explained, as the halla were some of the most sacred animals to the Dalish.

According to Dalish lore, the Creator Ghilan'nain—who would become the First Halla—had once been part of the _Elvhenan_. Once, when she was out hunting with her sisters, she came across a hunter who had killed a hawk, one of the two animals most sacred to Andruil. Ghilan'nain cursed the hunter for his sacrilege, and soon the hunter lost his ability to kill, which made him the source of many jokes and taunts. What use is a hunter that can't hunt, his Clan demanded. His wife and son left him, and the hunter blamed Ghilan'nain for his misfortune. In a false show of repentance, he lured her away from her sisters, begging her to show him how to atone for his transgression.

But, once he had Ghilan'nain alone, the hunter attacked her, putting out her eyes and binding her tightly. He couldn't kill her because of the curse, so he left her wounded and alone. Andruil, who loved Ghilan'nain for her devotion, sent her hares to chew through the binding and free Ghilan'nain. But, Ghilan'nain still couldn't see, so Andruil turned her into a halla, which allowed Ghilan'nain to find her sisters and lead them to the hunter, who was brought to justice. Once Ghilan'nain's task was finished, Andruil gathered her into the Beyond, so that she could live with the Creators she cherished and know peace.

According to Maren, Mythal—the Great Mother—adored the silver deer that Ghilan'nain had become, and asked Andruil to create more of them. Mythal, Maren said, loved all living creatures. So, Andruil created more halla to populate the world, and Ghilan'nain gave them the task of always guiding the _Elvhenan_ to safety, which they continued to do to this day. Maren said that if a hunter was wounded and alone, he or she would always be found by a halla, who would guide them back the safety of the Clan.

Kali had already heard the story from Ashara, who looked for any excuse to recite tales of the Dalish, but she loved hearing it again, especially now that she had actually met Sylaise and Andruil. Before, she had listened to the stories of the Creators as just that; stories that were fascinating, but mostly just tales to recite to children. Now, however, Kali found herself wondering if these stories were actually true, which drew her in more. She cringed when she heard Maren describe the pain Ghilan'nain suffered at the hunter's hands, and cheered when the hunter was brought to justice.

"Still not eating, _lath'en_?"

Maren's soft words interrupted Kali's thoughts; she peeked around the silver neck of the halla she was brushing. "What's wrong, Maren?"

The redhead frowned, not taking her eyes off the halla in front of her. "This one hasn't eaten for a few days, and I'm starting to worry. I think she might be getting sick."

Kali walked over to the halla, her eyes wide. The halla stood with her head drooped slightly, though her eyes were still clear and black. Kali didn't know much about halla, of course, but to her it looked like she was just tired. "Do you know what's wrong with her?"

"No, I don't," Maren said. She stroked the halla's neck in a soothing motion, but the halla didn't respond. "What's wrong, love? Are you not feeling well?"

After a few moments of silence, Maren's frown deepened. "This is getting to be a problem. We must take this to the Keeper."

"Is it so strange for the halla to get sick?" Kali asked. "At Vigil's Keep, some of the horses got sick occasionally. The stable boys just made them rest for a few days and eat well; most of the time, that's all they needed to get better."

Maren shook her head. "Halla are different from horses. They're directly linked to Ghilan'nain; the only animal on Thedas to be created by Andruil. It's not unheard of for them to get sick, but it is rare."

"But, the Keeper can help her, can't she?"

"Maybe." Maren still looked hesitant.

"What is it?" Kali asked, sensing that something else was bothering Maren.

"Well, all of them have been worrying me lately."

Kali looked around the pen where the nine halla were gathered together. It was a large area, large enough for them to canter around without feeling cramped. The halla didn't usually prance around, though. Instead, they ambled along like horses, eating grass at a slow pace, occasionally lying down and watching the Clan silently. "They look fine to me."

"That's because you only just arrived," Maren said. "Normally, the halla are very energetic. They play with each other during the day, kicking up grass and dirt and tossing their heads. At night, when the Clan is settling down for sleep, the halla make a sort of wavering cry, like a musical bleat, that is beautiful to hear."

"Really?" Kali hadn't heard a peep out of them since she had come to the Clan.

Maren nodded. "At first, I thought that they were just drained. They've never been in one place for such a long time; they're used to pulling the _aravels _every few months. They like to work and move around freely, so I thought they were just sad at being cooped up for so long. But, if one of them is getting sick from it... maybe it's more serious than I thought. I don't know why the Keeper..." She pressed her lips together, cutting herself off before she spoke ill of Marethari.

But, Kali knew what Maren had wanted to say; it was a common topic among the Dalish. No one could understand why they were staying in one place for so long. According to Fenarel, the Keeper had said that she had a promise to keep, which the Clan assumed had something to do with the human woman who had visited the Clan a year after they had arrived in Kirkwall, carrying a strange amulet. Marethari had instructed her to take the amulet to an altar on top of Sundermount, and sent Merrill to perform a strange ritual.

Then, when the woman had left, Merrill had gone with her. Kali recognized the woman as Carver's sister, though she couldn't remember her name. Carver had told the Wardens all about his sister's habit of collecting strange allies.

Fenarel had said that the Clan hadn't much cared for Carver's sister. She was nice enough—for a _shem_, he had added—but she had brought with her a snippy elf who had looked down on the Dalish, a woman who wouldn't stop leering at the men, and a dwarf that had kept pestering _hahren _Paivel for Dalish stories. When the strange group had finished with their task, taking Merrill with them, the Clan had thought that they could finally leave.

But, Marethari had informed them that they were to stay longer. She had said she still had business to take care of, though she wouldn't tell them what that business was.

"Come," Maren said suddenly, seemingly coming to a decision. "Let's go talk to the Keeper."

Kali nodded and the two of them climbed over the fence of the halla pen and walked towards the center of the camp, where Keeper Marethari could always be found.

In the weeks that Kali had lived with the Dalish, she hadn't yet gotten the chance to speak with the Keeper. Marethari never strayed from the center of the camp and was always available to anyone who had a question or concern but, whenever Kali tried to approach her, the Keeper seemed distant. She was pleasant enough; she smiled at Kali and politely inquired as to how she, Zevran, and Anyu were adjusting to life with the Dalish, but she didn't invite Kali to sit or give her much of a chance to speak.

Although, what Kali found _really_ strange, was that Marethari hadn't once spoken to Anyu about her magic. Ashara had said that the Keeper had asked if Anyu could be her First, so Kali had assumed that Marethari would want to begin Anyu's training, or see how much Anyu already knew. So far, however, the Keeper hadn't spoken to Anyu at all. But, whenever Kali tried to ask her about it, Marethari either changed the subject or excused herself.

"Excuse me, Keeper," Maren said politely as the two of them approached Marethari's fire, which was always kept lit. Ashalle had said that the chilly mountain air was difficult for some of the _hahren_.

Marethari looked up from the large book in her lap with a pleasant smile. "_Aneth ara, da'len_. What can I do for you?"

"It's about the halla." Maren kept her head respectfully lowered—Kali had noticed that all of the Dalish did this when speaking to one of the _hahren_—but her eyes were narrowed. "One of them is getting sick, and the others are still behaving strangely." She hesitated, as if wondering if she should continue, but then lifted her head with a determined look on her face. "Keeper, I know that you have reasons for keeping us here, but isn't it time to move on? I fear that the halla will only get worse if we linger."

Kali tried to keep the surprise from her face. In the time that she had been with the Dalish, she had never seen anyone directly question the Keeper. Normally, they grumbled to themselves; occasionally, they would bring their troubles to _hahren _Paivel or Chief Tasar but, to the Keeper's face, they usually remained silent. Maren must be more worried than she let on.

But, Marethari didn't seem offended, or even angry. She was as calm as ever; her face showed no emotion. "I understand your concerns, _da'len_, but there is business that keeps me here. I am afraid we cannot move yet."

"Are you going to keep us here forever?" Maren burst out.

The Keeper lowered her head. "I know that you, all of you, are angry. But, it is for the good of the Clan that I keep you here. You must trust me."

Maren fell silent and the Keeper let out a sigh. "Take care of the halla as best you can; if one is indeed sick, I will see what my magic can do. If they need to leave their pen, you are free to let them out to roam. Perhaps, that will help them."

Maren looked as though she wanted to say something, but after a time she jerked her head in a nod. "_Ma nuvenin_, Keeper." Without a word to Kali, she twisted on her heel and walked off.

Kali wasn't sure if she should say something to Marethari. Maybe the Keeper didn't realize just how frightened the Clan really was? They thought they were cursed. They feared that their food would run out, that this place was haunted by angry spirits. Surely, if she knew, Marethari would allow them to move.

But, before Kali could work up the courage to say something, the Keeper let out a deep sigh and, without a word, walked towards her _aravel_, soon disappearing inside.

Left alone, Kali stood silently for a moment before she realized she had been dismissed. Not for the first time, she wondered if Marethari had been lying when she had said she was pleased to welcome them. Kali hadn't told her why they had come—she hadn't been sure if she should mention her meeting with the Creators—so maybe the Keeper was angry? Did she think they were just using her Clan to hide from the Wardens?

Kali tried to tell herself that it didn't matter; the rest of the Clan was happy to have them. Everyone was very nice and welcoming, and treated Kali, Zevran, and Anyu as if they were family.

She wandered through the camp, smiling despite herself as she saw Anyu running after some of the other children, her young face lit up with laughter. So far, it seemed that Anyu liked living with the Dalish; she warmed to their attention, and no longer cried at night for her parents. She still asked when her parents would come join them but, instead of being sad, she was now excited about all the stories she could tell Ashara and Tamlen.

Kali watched the children gather around Master Ilen, begging him to let them watch him work, and walked over to one of the central fires; where a bunch of women and hunters—Zevran among them—were gathered together, laughing at familiar jokes as they went about their tasks.

"I still don't understand why you had to bring back all those poisonous plants," Fenarel said as Kali approached. "Why would we need poison?"

Zevran laughed. "Oh, I can think of quite a few uses. Perhaps some irritating human might stumble into your camp again, and you might need to encourage them to leave. The threat of poison is a fine motivation, I have found."

Kali shook her head as a ripple of female giggles greeted his words. Zevran had a way of charming everyone, man or woman, and the Dalish were no exception. Especially the Dalish women, who found any excuse to ask him a question, or begged him to try the food they made. And, they _always_ wanted to hear about his time with the Crows; to hear their enthusiasm, one would've thought Zevran had been the Guild Leader of the whole order.

Part of Kali was bothered by it, but Zevran had made it very clear to the Clan that he was unavailable. He didn't go out of his way to flirt with anyone; the women were just naturally drawn to him. Besides, Kali had known the consequences of his unique charm when she fell in love with him. And, she trusted him.

Zevran looked up as she approached the fire. "There you are, my lovely Warden." Chaya, one of the Dalish women, gave her a dirty look which, unfortunately, was another common occurrence with Zevran.

"_Aneth ara, lethallan_," Fenarel said. "Is Maren finished with the halla?"

Zevran scooted over to make room for her, and she sat down next to him. "Well, we didn't get much done; Maren noticed that one of the halla is getting sick."

Everyone grew quiet at her words. "Sick?" Luan repeated. "How bad is it?"

"I don't know," Kali admitted. "But, Maren wanted to talk to the Keeper about it. She thinks that the halla need to work and move around to get some of their energy back."

"What did the Keeper say?" Fenarel asked.

"She said that Maren was welcome to let the halla out to get some exercise; that that might help them."

One of the hunters, Meira, shook her head. "Poor Maren; she must be worried." She jumped to her feet. "I'll go talk to her and see if she needs help." She darted off towards the pen.

After she was gone, a silence settled over the group. After a time, Leyla, a quiet girl who never said much, let out a sigh. "This place truly is cursed."

"Nonsense," Chana said indignantly. "The Keeper wouldn't make us stay here if this place was cursed."

"How else do you explain everything that's happened?" Luan demanded. "Look at all the bad luck we've had! Our First tried to bring back the darkspawn taint, and then abandoned us to live with _shemlen_, we have to travel further and further to find food, and now the halla are getting sick!"

"Even _hahren _Paivel says that Keeper knows what she's doing," Chana retorted. "If we turn on the Keeper, or start doubting her wisdom, it spells disaster for our Clan!"

Kali stood up quickly. "Excuse me; I'll be right back." Zevran gave her a curious look; she shrugged and walked towards the _aravel_ that she shared with him and Anyu.

She climbed inside, settling herself on the comfortable blankets the Dalish made, and soon heard footsteps approaching. Zevran's face appeared in the open side of the _aravel_, looking inquisitive. "Is everything all right?"

Kali nodded. "Oh, yes. I'm fine." She was just tired of listening to the Dalish argue back and forth about how this place was cursed. She understood their fears, but it was always the same argument. And, after a while of listening to Luan predict sickness and death for the Clan if they stayed, Kali was starting to get depressed.

But, she thought that saying something like that might sound rude.

With a sigh, she leaned back on her hands. "You know, I wish I had thought to ask Sylaise or Andruil how long we had to stay here. I like living here, but I wish I had thought to ask when we could go home."

Zevran climbed into the _a__ravel_ and sat beside her. "Yes, that probably would have been helpful." Kali frowned, and the assassin was unable to keep a straight face. "Do not glare at me like that, _mi querida_! You are quite frightening when you're angry."

"You _should _be scared of me," Kali said teasingly, her gloomy mood lifting away. "Don't forget; you did teach me how to blend poisons."

"Ah, you know how much I love it when you threaten me." Zevran glanced outside the _aravel_. Their wagon, which had once been Merrill's, was set near the edge of the camp, away from prying eyes. "You know, I don't think anyone will miss us for an hour or so. Anyu is with the other children, and we are alone."

Kali, who knew that sly grin well, pretended to sigh. "What if I said I wasn't in the mood?"

Zevran laughed. "Now _that _sounds like a challenge, my dear."

Kali couldn't help but giggle as he twitched the flap shut and moved towards her.

oOo

Ashara felt like a child again as she took her first steps in the sacred city of Halamshiral. It was like being a little girl, sitting in front of Keeper Marethari as she told the mesmerizing stories of Arlathan.

Beside her, Tamlen stared around in awe, looking almost as entranced as she was. "_Shiva'dahl_! This place is amazing!"

"Do you think the two of you could _please _stop gawking like peasants newly come to a city?" Gavan grumbled irritably. "Don't forget, we're _trying _to remain inconspicuous."

"But this is Halamshiral!" Ashara practically sang the name. "The capital of the Dales! The place where our ancestors tried to rebuild Arlathan!"

"I wouldn't care if one of your Creators suddenly appeared right in front of us," Gavan said, earning a glare from Ashara. "Right now, anyone could figure out that you two don't belong here. So, just act like you aren't impressed by the city and follow me."

"He does have a point, _vulpasha_," Tamlen said.

Ashara put her hands on her hips, glaring at both men. "Do either of you have any sort of love for _anything_ sacred?"

Gavan let out a bark of laughter. "I have a love for keeping myself alive."

Tamlen put a hand on her elbow and guided her after Gavan. Ashara allowed herself to be led like a sulky child, but she couldn't keep the scowl on her face as they followed Gavan down the winding paths of the city. They could make her follow, but they couldn't keep her from taking in the sights.

Really, how could she _not _stare around in awe? This was the place her ancestors built, the place where they collected the knowledge of Arlathan and shared stories of the Creators; the place where they had locked themselves away from _shemlen_ and had tried to regain their eternal life. One of her grandmothers could have strolled along the path that Ashara was walking on! Over there, near that beautiful fountain, one of the _hahren _might have educated the _da'len_.

As Ashara looked around the city, her heart began to swell with emotion. Everything that they had done—hiking through Ferelden, avoiding anyone that might know them, sneaking across the border like thieves in the night—was worth it. All of that hard walking, barely eating, exhausting themselves to make good time, was worth it just to be here. Even abandoning her friends at Vigil's Keep was a payment worthy of seeing this sacred city. Ashara's only regret was that Anyu and Kali couldn't be here to share this moment with her and, for a moment, her elation dimmed.

Keeper Marethari had said that Halamshiral was rumored to be nothing but a pale ghost of its former beauty; that, when the Chantry swept through it, they had destroyed everything that the _Elvhenan_ had built. Of course, no one had known for certain what Halamshiral still looked like, since none of the Dalish lived in Orlais. Why would they? Orlais was the country that had destroyed the Dales; its existence was a painful reminder of how the _shemlen_ hated their very existence.

But, as Ashara looked around, she saw that the Keeper had been wrong; the humans hadn't destroyed everything. Perhaps they had taken down the statues of the Creators, as Ashara was certain that the _Elvhenan_ would have made sure to honor them, but, other than that, the city looked as though it had been left intact.

To Ashara, it looked like one giant work of art. Even the smallest houses were made from some sort of white stone that somehow glittered in the sunlight; stunning inlays of ivory swirled around the base of the houses as if an architect had been determined to delight the eye. Everywhere Ashara looked, she saw gardens that looked as though they had been designed solely for beauty's purpose. She saw delightful lilies, dark velvety roses, and bright sunflowers. Thick rosemary bushes outlined some of the gardens; their deep scent drifted back to Ashara on the cool breeze. And, every fence and post was covered with dark green jasmine vines.

The whole place smelled fresh and alive, reminding Ashara of the pure fragrance of the Brecilian Forest, which had smelled of pine, juniper, and the deep earth.

"Look at that!" Tamlen suddenly gasped.

Ashara had been too enamored with the beautiful gardens as Gavan had led them down the winding paths of the city to pay much attention to much else, and had barely noticed that they were in what looked like the central market of Halamshiral, although it was _far _different from the market in Denerim. For one thing, the people crowded together weren't shouting at one another like they did in Ferelden. Their voices were raised, as merchants called out their wares to passersby, reminding them that good prices could be found at their stalls, but their speech was much softer than Ashara was used to. The soldiers walking around weren't laughing or yelling as they did in Denerim, but watched everything with such sharp eyes that Ashara was grateful Gavan had reminded them to hide their weapons.

The people even moved differently. In Ferelden, humans had a habit of clapping one another on the back in a familiar gesture, or slinging their arms around another's shoulders. Sometimes, they even pushed each other out of the way to get a better look at something. But, here, they stood apart from one another. No one jostled each other for a better view, or touched the arms of a stranger. They held a respectful distance from each other that should have been polite, but it gave Ashara a chill.

"Over there," Tamlen said, seeing that Ashara was staring at the central market. She followed the direction of his pointed finger to a large building set on the east side of the area, and her eyes widened.

The building was... beautiful seemed like too simple of a word. Dazzling? Magnificent? All of that and more. Ashara couldn't tell what it was made of; she had never seen stone that looked so glossy before. The stone was a creamy white, with specks and swirls of dark gray and black that looked as though it was actually _part _of the stone! A few elderly mages, dressed in full Circle robes, leaned against the pillars and talked calmly with one another, squinting their eyes against the late morning sun. Ashara couldn't believe their indifference. They were standing in front of one of the most beautiful buildings she had ever seen, yet they acted like they didn't even notice!

Gavan pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh upon seeing Ashara and Tamlen staring like wide-eyed _da'len_. "That's just the library."

"The library?" Ashara repeated, her smile widening.

"Yes, it's nothing special."

She whirled around to glare at the mercenary. " 'Nothing special'? Don't you know how long that library has probably been there? No _shemlen_ could have created that! That must be the library our ancestors built when they tried to recreate Arlathan!" She clapped her hands together, unable to remain sulky in the face of such history. "Just imagine! We thought that the humans had destroyed Halamshiral, but they didn't! What if they kept ancient _Elvhenan _texts in there as well?"

She spun around and practically danced towards the library, but a hand slithered out to grab her, stopping her in her tracks. Twisting back, she saw Gavan holding tightly to her wrist, his expression one of frustration. "Oh no," he said firmly. "You're _not _running off to go in there."

Ashara put her free hand on her hip, lifting her chin haughtily. "And why not? Gavan, this is our history! You might not be Dalish, but _your _ancestors lived here, too! Don't you want to learn about our people?"

Tamlen moved beside Ashara and cleared his throat, the hint of a threat clear in his stance; Gavan took the hint and released his hold on her wrist. "Ashara," he said, still not taking his eyes from her, "this is Orlais, a country dominated by the Chantry. Andraste's ass, even the Divine lives here! Do you honestly think that that library will have information about the elves of the Dales?"

"It might!" She waved a hand around them. "Look at this place! The statues of the Creators might be gone, but the _shemlen_ appear to have kept everything else intact! Look at that statue!" She pointed to a pillar that had the body of an elven mage carved into it. "_We _built that, not humans!"

"Keeping a city intact is _far _different from holding on to sacrilegious works about elven gods, or books on forbidden elven magic. I can almost guarantee that, after pillaging the Dales, the Chantry swept through and destroyed almost every book they found." Gavan crossed his arms. "And, even if they didn't, you risk exposing us. Only Senior Enchanters and nobles have access to the library. Elves, unless they have special permission, aren't allowed inside. If you sweep in there, demanding to see ancient elven texts, it won't take them long to figure out that you're a Dalish woman. At best, they'll figure out that you're the previous Warden-Commander and return you to Ferelden. At worst, they'll think you're just a flat ear disobeying the laws and you'll be imprisoned."

Ashara hesitated. What Gavan said was true—though she was reluctant to admit it—but even the _possibility_ of learning about her ancestors was too much of a pull. What if Gavan was wrong? What if scholars, who understood the value of history, had kept the books about her ancestors? She couldn't turn her back on that, could she? Her entire life, before she had become a Warden, had been about discovering and restoring her people's history.

The _Elvhenan_ had nothing. Only a few scattered stories about the Creators, a history soaked in blood and death, and enough of their language to string together a few sentences. They had endured a thousand years of slavery, the theft of their culture, and the imprisonment of their gods. All they wanted was to reclaim some of their history, the history that had been stolen when the _shemlen_ had marched through their lands. How could Ashara turn her back on even a slight chance to learn something?

But, she hesitated. Keeper Marethari had told her that no history was worth one's own safety. Was it worth it to risk prison to learn something? The Keeper would have told Ashara to turn around and follow Gavan. Marethari would have said that their history wasn't worth Ashara putting herself at risk.

As if on cue, Tamlen put a gentle hand on her elbow. "Ashara, Gavan has a point. We can't risk someone discovering us; especially not before we meet with Leliana." _And Arlathan Forest_, his eyes said. But, they hadn't told Gavan about the second part of their journey.

With a sigh, she nodded. "Fine." She knew she sounded like a petulant child, but didn't care. "I'll leave the library alone, for now." Both men looked extremely relieved.

Trying to hide a triumphant smile, Gavan led them to an inn situated near the central market. It was a building that was just as beautiful as the others, with a small courtyard in the front that boasted a pretty garden and a small fountain that created a soothing atmosphere.

"This is much different from the inns in Ferelden," Tamlen remarked as they walked through the courtyard. "I thought all inns were loud and filthy."

Gavan chuckled. "Oh, you'll still find places like that in some of the other Orlesian cities. But, Halamshiral is a rich, scholarly city where a lot of the nobles have second homes. Even the Empress and the Divine sometimes visit."

"No doubt to look around smugly at the beauty their people stole," Ashara said bitterly.

Cleverly, the mercenary didn't comment, probably realizing that Ashara's sulky mood wouldn't be lifted any time soon. Instead, he led them inside the inn, which looked much more familiar to Ashara and Tamlen. The building might be stunning on the outside but, inside, it looked like any tavern one would find in Ferelden.

Gavan asked the two of them to wait while he approached the barkeep, and Ashara looked around the bar. Since it was late morning, the tavern was mostly empty, save for a few people here and there who were drinking ale; their eyes were red and they looked sluggish and slow. The tables and chairs looked as though they were made from birch; a good choice. The walls were in good condition, and there were colorful mats on parts of the floor but, aside from that, the place had almost no decoration. Ashara would have expected that the inside of such a beautiful building would be just as pretty.

Ashara's lip curled up into a sneer. Of course, the interior had probably been redecorated by _shemlen_. The humans clearly weren't as creative as her people.

Gavan soon came back and gestured that the two of them should follow him up the stairs towards the back. "I bought a room for us for a few days."

Tamlen's eyebrow rose. "We're to share a room? All three of us?" Among the Dalish, people often crowded together in one _aravel_, so that no one ever slept alone. But, it was usually understood that a bonded couple would want an _aravel_ to themselves, for certain... activities that others couldn't be party to.

The mercenary laughed as he walked up the stairs. "Welcome to life as a regular traveler. We're using our own coin now, and I'm not about to waste mine on an extra room for the two of you."

Tamlen rolled his eyes and followed behind Gavan silently as the mercenary led them to the room they were going to share.

Ashara looked around curiously. Despite the plainness of the floor below, the room seemed to be quite snug and comfortable. There was a good sized fireplace set against the wall, a small table with some bowls and a jug of water, a large bed, a full sized table with a set of chairs, and a stuffed couch against the window.

Gavan flopped down on the couch, letting out a contented sigh as he sank against the cushions. "Get comfortable, you two. We might be here for a few days."

Tamlen set his pack down on a small table, unhooked his father's bow from where it was hidden beneath his cloak, and then tossed it and his cloak onto the bed. "Leliana isn't here yet?"

"No, not yet." Gavan straightened up. "Oh, and there's one more thing I should probably mention. While we're here in Orlais, don't call her by her name. From now on, refer to her as Sister Nightingale."

"Sister Nightingale?" Ashara repeated, unhooking her cloak and tossing it on the bed beside Tamlen's. She didn't bother to remove the knife hidden underneath her belt. "What does that mean?"

Gavan looked a bit shifty, and Ashara was instantly on the alert. "What is it, Gavan?"

The mercenary shrugged. "Eh, I suppose you'll figure it out eventually, if she doesn't tell you herself." He lifted his eyes and looked at the two of them. "Sister Nightingale is the Left Hand of the Divine."

The silence in the room was so heavy, Ashara could have cut it with a knife. Finally, Tamlen inhaled deeply, his eyes sharp and angry. "What did you just say?"

Gavan leaned back in the couch, completely unaffected by their glares. "Oh, stop staring at me as if I've just forced you to walk into the Void."

"But, you're telling us that Leliana works directly for the Divine!" Ashara exclaimed. "The Chantry has been asking about the Wardens! What if Leli—Sister Nightingale is coming to find answers for them?"

"Andraste's ass, even _I'm _not as suspicious as you two," Gavan remarked casually. "You have to understand that there _are _other things going on in Orlais. Your situation isn't the only problem in existence."

"What do you mean?" Tamlen asked.

"I mean, that Orlais has its own problems, and they don't necessarily include the Wardens. The Empress struggles to hold the reins of Orlais while still acknowledging the power of the Chantry, who seeks to keep balance in almost every country on Thedas. Is it so strange to think that Divine Justinia would have someone who could gather information in the shadows? Based on Sister Nightingale's past, I'd say she was perfect for the job."

Ashara frowned. "I don't understand. You said that she had been questioned by the Seekers about the Blight. Why would they question someone so important to the Divine?"

Gavan shook his head. "I said that _Leliana _had been questioned by the Seekers. No one knows who she really is. How could she hope to gather information if everyone knew she reported directly to the Divine?"

Ashara sat down on the bed, feeling somewhat lost in this sea of intrigue. It reminded her of her first time dealing with Fereldan politics back during the Blight, when Eamon had spoken to the nobles, convincing them why Alistair would make a good king. The Dalish didn't have such problems. There was a Keeper and a Chief who led the Clan, and the others who helped their kin. They didn't lie or play each other false.

"If she's supposed to keep her identity secret, why are you telling us?" Tamlen asked.

Gavan shrugged. "Because you would have found out when she came. I don't doubt that she'll travel under the guise of Sister Nightingale, and it's important that you not give away her true name."

"Yes, but you didn't have to tell us that Sister Nightingale reported directly to the Divine," Tamlen persisted.

The mercenary looked up at him with hard eyes. "Maybe it's because I know her. Whatever she does in the shadows, she's not going to betray someone she considers a friend. If you hadn't been so quick to suspicion, you might have remembered that. After all, she _did _put her life on the line to help you end the Blight."

Ashara thought for a moment. Once again, Gavan had a shrewd way of making sense. Would they be fools to trust him? Leliana trusted him and, during the Blight, Ashara would have trusted the bard with her life. But, that had been almost seven years ago. Had Leliana changed during that time?

"Very well," she said after a few minutes. "Gavan has a point. We at least owe Leliana the benefit of the doubt, after everything she's done for us. But," she continued, looking at the mercenary, "if she's not here within three days, we're going to have to leave Halamshiral."

"After all this?" Gavan demanded. "You'd just leave, without even speaking to her?"

"Traveling to Orlais is not our only task," Ashara said vaguely. "We have other places we need to be, and we can't wait for too long. We'll give Leli—Sister Nightingale three days, and then we have to continue." Tamlen nodded his assent, and Gavan shrugged as if he didn't feel like prying.

Ashara leaned back on her arms. Once again, she was grateful that Kali had taken Anyu to her Clan. Ashara missed them both terribly, but it was comforting to know that, at least with the Dalish, her daughter would be safe. No matter what happened, Anyu would be fine with them.

oOo

Nathaniel paced in front of the great desk, his agitation clear with every step. "I only bring this to your attention, Your Majesties, because I don't know how to respond."

Kira nodded, leaning over Alistair's shoulder to scan the letter in his hands. "I can easily see why this would put you in a difficult position, Nathaniel."

Alistair leaned back in his chair with his usual good humored chuckle. "Ashara and Kali haven't even been gone for two months and already the First Warden is making demands. You have to admire his dedication at least."

Nathaniel pursed his lips, pausing in his pacing. The three of them, along with Guinevere, were alone in Alistair's grand study, which afforded them more privacy than any other place in the castle. The room was on the second floor, and two guards were situated outside the door to prevent any nosy eavesdropper from listening to their conversation; they were as secluded as it was possible to be in the castle.

"When she was in command," Nathaniel said, "Ashara made it very clear that we wouldn't answer to the First Warden."

"Exactly!" Guinevere said staunchly. "I think we should be offended that he'd dare to write such a letter! Why should we tell him where our previous Commander and Second are? Does he think that, with Ashara and Kali out of the way, he can make demands of us again?"

"Have you learned anything more about their disappearance?" Kira asked.

Nathaniel shook his head. "The Dalish never heard from them. Keeper Rhys said that he sent a message to Keeper Marethari in Kirkwall, but she doesn't know either. If they didn't go to Ashara and Tamlen's Clan, then I don't know where they could be." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Half of the Wardens don't even know what really happened. We told them that Ashara and Kali went to Orzammar on behalf of the Wardens, and that Tamlen and Zevran went with them. We said they took Anyu because they don't know when they'll come back. I don't know if everyone believes it, but they seem to have accepted it."

Kira nodded. "It is better they believe that, rather than know the truth: that their Commander and Second abandoned them, whatever their reasons for doing so might be."

"Yes," Alistair agreed. "Morale is a powerful thing."

"Only the four of us and a handful of Wardens know the truth," Guinevere added. "We informed Oghren, Sigrun, Carver, and Keiran of the real situation. They were closest to the four of them, and Nathaniel thought that they had a right to know. Besides, we needed someone else to confirm our story."

"How are they handling the news?" Alistair asked.

"Better than you might imagine," Nathaniel said. Despite the seriousness of the situation, he grinned. "Oghren said they should be easy to find; between Tamlen and Zevran, they're sure to leave behind a trail of blood."

"Keiran is of the opinion that we should leave them alone," Guinevere remarked. "He believes that they must have had a reason for their disappearance, and that searching for them might put them in danger."

Alistair shook his head. "We aren't searching for them anymore, Gwen."

The mage turned a surprised look in his direction. "Really? I thought you had sent out a number of soldiers to look for them."

"We did at first," Kira admitted, "but we cannot spare men for too long, and we were forced to call them back. They are needed here." She hesitated. "We had considered writing to Empress Celene, my cousin, to ask if she has heard anything, but we do not want this information to leak out."

Nathaniel nodded. "I agree. We've been acting as though everything is fine; so far, the Wardens seem to have accepted our story."

Kira put her hands on the back of Alistair's chair. "I believe the elves have as well. Alistair and I have specified that we do not know Warden secrets any longer, and that, if we had to guess, we would assume that Ashara and Kali had most likely been sent on a mission. Shianni rang quite the storm over our heads." She couldn't help but wince at the memory of the fiery redhead's indignation. "She wanted to know why her cousin had not bothered to inform her that she was leaving, but I merely repeated what I had told everyone else: that I did not know."

Nathaniel took the letter from Alistair and waved it. "So, what are we to tell the First Warden? Should I write and tell him the same story we've told everyone else?" Although Alistair and Kira had proclaimed publicly that they were no longer privy to Warden secrets, in truth, they frequently offered their opinions or suggestions on delicate matters. Ashara had been in the habit of asking for their advice, and Nathaniel seemed inclined to continue the tradition.

"Why should we tell him anything?" Guinevere demanded. "Ashara and Kali's disappearance doesn't change the fact that we're not about to be ruled by some fat idiot in Weisshaupt. If we answer him now, we'll never be rid of him."

"Gwen does have a point," Alistair said with a hint of laughter. "Though, you might want to be a bit more tactful when you reply."

Nathaniel inclined his head. "Very well, I'll inform him that we still don't answer to him."

He hesitated, looking around at the three of them. "But, you know this won't go away, right? _Someone _told him that Ashara and Kali are gone, which means that he has someone in our midst that reports to him. Even if I tell him that we don't answer to him, his spy might still report our claim that they went to Orzammar. If he decides to investigate, it'll be easy for him to discover that we're lying."

Kira pressed her lips together in a frown. "At least this letter will buy us some time. Hopefully, we can find a way to prevent him from discovering the truth."

The three of them nodded at her words, but they looked almost as doubtful as Kira felt.

* * *

_**Translations:**  
lath'en - beautiful  
hahren - elder; a term of respect  
Aneth ara - informal greeting  
da'len - child/children  
ma nuvenin - as you wish  
lethallan - friend/kinsman; used for female  
shiva'dahl - an exclamation of surprise; comparable to 'Dear Maker!'_

_**A/N:** It's been over a month since I updated, and I'm terribly sorry for that. I got a bit distracted with art. This chapter was supposed to be just about Kali adjusting to life with the Dalish, but since I made everyone wait for so long, I thought we should move the story along a bit. Also, I know that the halla are supposed to be gone by the start of DA2, and I've intentionally kept them alive b/c their death will be an important moment in this story._

_I looked around the DA wiki for any information I could find on Halamshiral, but there wasn't much there, so I have no idea if what Ashara sees is canon or not. I like to think that Orlais, a country that loves beauty, would have kept Halamshiral as intact as possible. The elves had tried to make it into a second Arlathan, a city reputed to be dazzling and mysterious, and had about three centuries to do so. Because of that, I like to think that Halamshiral is a lavish, scholarly city._

_The Ghilan'nain myth is taken from the DA wiki, although I did take a little bit of liberty with it._

_Thank you to everyone reading, reviewing, or requesting alerts! Special thanks to the amazingly talented Suilven, for her help and suggestions that, as always, made this chapter flow much better!_


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